Every Beast Has Their Beauty
by Lizzar
Summary: James Potter was once a successful wizard. However, shortly after defeating Voldemort, he was cursed to live without magic unless he found true love. Being devilishly handsome and wealthy makes it difficult to find true love in a world run by money and appearances. Running out of time, his friends meddle in his life to ensure they can have their friend back.
1. Chapter 1: The Curse of James Potter

**Every Beast Has Their Beauty**

_Disclaimer_: I am not J.K. Rowling. I do not own any of her work.

_Chapter 1: The Curse of James Potter_

_Thursday, August 9_

A tall, muscular man with thick, messy dark hair pulled his pants up over his boxers, zipping and buttoning them. It was 11:17 in the morning which meant he was very late for work, not that it mattered. He was the boss and what he said went. He was only 24 years old and had already billions of dollars in his name due to his parents' work as well as an unfortunate incident. He was the CEO of a successful technological enterprise that had global connections. He looked to the figure on his bed and shook his head. Laying in his bed was his current, and now former, personal assistant. Her dark hair lay across the bed and a peaceful look was plastered on her face as the blanket covered her small frame.

He sat on the edge of the bed and started to put his socks and dress shoes on. He heard his phone ringing, found it on his nightstand, and answered.

"Hey," he muttered, sleep still evident in his voice. "I'm on my way, now…yeah, can you have Remus put an ad for a new personal assistant?...nope, not the one…I'm beginning to think I won't find-…it's been five years, Sirius…Yeah, well, I'm running out of time…see you in 30 minutes, Sirius," he muttered onto the phone, hanging it up. He saw the woman on the bed stirring and then sitting up in bed, holding the comforter tightly around her nearly naked body.

She grinned when he looked at her. "Hello there, handsome," she stated and then crawled over behind him, rubbing his chest from behind. She leaned over to whisper in his ear, seductively. He just shook his head in response.

"Sorry, Elaina. I have to get going to work."

"I'll meet you there?" she asked, hopefully, but with disappointment in her voice. He shook his head again as he walked over to his closet to grab a white undershirt.

"You know the deal. I had you sign it before you started working with me. I need someone who will do their work without letting personal lives getting affected."

She pouted, angrily. "Hey, I didn't hear you rejecting my advances last night."

He shrugged. "You're a beautiful woman. Who am I to turn down a beautiful woman? It's not going to work out."

"C'mon, you know you liked it up until you fell asleep. We didn't get to finish…just wait, hunny. I can help you de-stress every night, if you'd like. You won't regret it," she grinned, standing from the bed and letting the comforter drop, exposing her nearly nude body.

The man, James Potter, glanced up briefly but reached back into his closet to pick out a dress shirt and jacket to wear. He had pretended to fall asleep last night, not wanting to go farther with a woman who wasn't his true love. His parents had brought him up as a gentleman and no curse was going to change that part of his life.

"Sorry, Elaina. Your clothes are on the floor; get changed so we can leave," he stated, void of emotion.

She made out a noise in disgust and grabbed her clothes off the ground angrily, throwing them on quickly.

"I'll walk _myself_ out, selfish prick," she stated, voice shaking in anger. She grabbed her dress shoes and left his loft in a rush.

"Women," James grunted, walking to the bathroom to put on deodorant and brush his teeth. When he finished, he buttoned his dress shirt, threw on a tie, and put on his jacket. He picked up his phone from the nightstand again and grabbed his briefcase that was resting by the door. He left his loft that he shared with his two best friends as their house elf, Lucy, appeared in the building. She bid farewell to Mr. Potter as he left in a rush. He didn't acknowledge her, but instead pulled out his phone to respond to missed calls.

Within fifteen minutes from leaving his loft, he was entering his large, emasculate building that was built of a beautiful grey stone mixed with glass. The floors on the inside were a white marble.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter," the security man at the front desk stated, nodding to James.

"Joe, good to see you," James responded to his father's long-time best friend and previous security guard, Joe Ellison. James walked to the elevators and flashed his badge to open his personal elevator. Upon entrance, he looked into an eye identifier that would only accept his eye to move the elevator to the floor he wanted. The elevator moved speedily up to the 21st floor and opened. He saw the empty front desk that Elaina would have normally occupied. To the right side was a waiting area with about 15 seats available and coffee, water, and snacks available to anyone who was waiting. Along the whole side of one of the walls was a fish tank that housed a few dozen different types of fish. He watched the fish as he walked past the wall and to a double door area that was to open to his office.

Seeing that it was unlocked, he entered and saw his two best friends sitting at the table to the side, answering e-mails on their laptops. They had their own offices on the other side of the personal assistant's desk, but they preferred to work in here.

"James, the job listing is up. We will schedule people to come in tomorrow as we cleared your schedule. The meeting with John has been moved until Thursday at 2 and your meeting with Andrea and Benson has been moved until Friday at 10, so don't be late to work. As for today, you have a meeting with the board of directors at 3 and a phone conference with Luminous Enterprises at 5. Your lunch date with Addison and Lucas has been postponed until Wednesday at 12:15," a man with a clean shaven face and a neat blond hair cut stated, not looking at James. His name was Remus Lupin.

"Thanks," James stated, joining them at the long table. Across from him was his other best friend, Sirius Black, who was just as tall as James with a scruffy face and shaggy black hair. He grinned at James when James finally met his eyes.

"Maybe we're going the wrong route, mate," Sirius suggested. "Clearly you picking personal assistants isn't working. They clearly only fall for your looks and wealth. Let Remus and I pick you a personal assistant and we're going to have you go on blind dates or something. As you stated, you are running out of time."

"I don't have time for dates-" James started.

"You're going to make time for dates, James. You've just turned 24 yesterday…we only have until you're 25, remember?" Remus pitched in. "You know what'll happen if you don't find the one. You will never be magical again and you will lose all ties to magic, including us. You're not the only one who is suffering from this."

"You try to find someone to love you when they immediately see your looks and money," James snapped at his friend. Rubbing a hand through his thick hair, he continued, "I'm sorry, Remus. I didn't mean that. It's just…magic was my life, you know? And now it's gone and I feel completely useless. There has to be another way around this curse."

Remus shook his head sympathetically. "You know we're here for you no matter what happens, James. And we searched…this is the only way, I'm afraid."

"It's not that bad, Prongs. We'll figure this out," Sirius added sincerely, patting James on the back. "We still have whole other year left."

James snorted. "And the first five were what, trials? Let's face it. A year is not enough time anymore. You guys should go back to being only aurors. I don't want you to give up your old lives for me."

"Oh stop being dramatic, James. We're not leaving and you know that. We are the marauders after all…and marauders stick together. The muggle world isn't that bad and besides, the only people we care about are with us anyhow," Remus stated.

"And how is that helping you guys? You're magical and I'm…not, anymore. I'm just plain old boring muggle James," James responded.

"Correction. You're ridiculously wealthy, ridiculously good-looking, plain old boring muggle James," Sirius grinned, earning a glare from James. "Besides, my sister and Ray are still looking for a cure besides this whole 'love-thing'. She thinks they're close to finding one. They're still working with Dumbledore. They haven't given up on you and neither should you."

"Whatever. Let's get back to work."

James shrugged in approval as the group continued on their individual tasks, leaving when they had to go to their meetings. They returned to the office at the end of the work day to discuss the upcoming interviews.

"Alright, we have twelve women coming in tomorrow, starting at 7 A.M. and lasting until 8 P.M. Ally will be coming in to help with the secretary duties and such to watch the women out there while we sit in here interviewing. And no, Sirius, you cannot sit out there with Ally," Remus stated as Sirius went to interrupt but then stopped, pouting. "We _have _to pick someone or Ally will murder you, James. She hates being your personal assistant, says you're ridiculous to work with."

James grinned. "How is my favorite sister doing?" he asked, laughing. Ally was Remus' twin sister. She directed the Personal Relations Department of the company, Potter's and Sons Enterprise, creating advanced technological development for the future of the world. James saw her as his own sister, one of the few females he had an actual relationship with. The boys and Ally met when they went to school together at 11. The school was called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and it was where young witches and wizards went to learn magic. An unfortunate incident occurred, leaving James magic-less in the muggle community. His faithful friends came to work at his muggle company to be with James until they could find a cure for him. Being one of the most intelligent wizards and learning muggle technology quickly, Remus had become the company's personal hacker in order to ensure they had the best security measures in place. He was then promoted to the Senior Director of Computer and Internet Security at James' company. Sirius was James' right hand man and has started and remained in his position of Director of Security, with his main position being the bodyguard of James. Although Sirius was fairly intelligent, he hated sitting behind a desk.

It had been five years ago; four years, 10 months, and 17 days, to be precise. One day, James Potter was one of the best good wizards to exist and then the next, he was merely a muggle. When James was only 18, he had managed to murder the most malicious of evil wizards named Voldemort. This, however, caused Voldemort's seer to curse James to the muggle world without his magic. He lost all magical ability and was stuck in a world he didn't know much about. The only way to get his magical ability back was if someone were to fall in love with him and give him true love's kiss. James, ever the player in school, quickly found that this task wasn't as easy as it sounded. When individuals saw him, they saw dollar signs and a handsome bachelor. He was desperate to find a woman who liked him beyond his wealth, fame, and appearances, but to no avail. This in turn caused James to become very bitter, selfish, and angry towards anything and everything, losing the thing that mattered to him more than anything in the world. Being a wizard was who he was and living like a muggle was torture for him.

However, James' good friends made the switch with him. They still used their magic and still were connected with the magical community, but they opted to stay with James while they waited for his true love to come around. They vowed to stay with James even if they couldn't find a cure. Sirius, Remus, Ally, and Ally's roommate, Sahara, all stayed with James, working for his company while Sirius' sister, Lizzie, and her boyfriend, Ray, stayed primarily in the magical community to search for an alternative means in case he couldn't find true love. They had been working on the cure since James was cured but were finding it very difficult to cure it without the original caster, the seer. Unfortunately for them, the seer killed herself after cursing James.

"She'd be doing better if she didn't have to keep filling in for…what was her exact wording? Oh right…'mindless slutty gold-diggers who can't keep their legs closed'," Remus grinned, responding to James' earlier question. James shrugged guiltily and Sirius laughed.

"Alright, alright. I get it. Let's get back to the loft to catch some shut eye since the fool over here started the interviews at 7!" James exclaimed, indicating it was alright for them to call it a night.

The three friends grinned, leaving their office the muggle way to their shared loft in the city of London.


	2. Chapter 2: First Impressions

**Every Beast Has Their Beauty**

_Disclaimer_: I am not J.K. Rowling. I do not own any of her work.

_Chapter 2: First Impressions_

_Saturday, August 4 (a few days prior)_

A beautiful redheaded woman with piercing emerald eyes and a fair complexion sipped on her morning coffee while reading the newspaper. She had been working as a personal assistant underneath a man named Todd Bellingham. He was a 35-year old man who was the CEO of a growing technology company with the headquarters in London, England. The woman had been his personal assistant for nearly a year but was looking for a change soon. She had come from America a year ago to work for him, having connections through her parents. However, recently, he was going through a nasty divorce and was putting advances on his personal assistant out of his frustration with the situation at home.

Not one to put up with the sexual advances in the work force, the woman was quickly and adamantly looking for new work before quitting her work with Todd.

Who was she? Her name was Lily Evans, 23-year old daughter of Robert and Anna Evans, sister of Petunia Evans (now Dursley), and a witch who rejected her abilities. When Lily was 11 years old, she had received a letter stating that she was accepted to Salem Institute for Witches. Thinking it was simply a joke, Lily threw the letter away. The note had come via an owl which Lily thought was a cool trick at the time. Shortly after, she had received another letter stating the same thing. However, her parents decided that they wouldn't allow Lily to go to that school. They were afraid of the news and prohibited her attendance. Not wanting to disappoint her parents, Lily opted to reject the letter and stay with her parents and sister.

Many times she wondered what it would be like if she had decided to go, but she refused to let her mind wander too deeply into the dreams. Now, the only times that she thought of what magic could bring her were in moments of sadness, anxiety, or anger at humanity; for example, when a drunk man hit on her, she would like to turn him into a toad.

Her family life wasn't bad at all. She got along rather well with both parents and she and her sister had been best friends until her sister had married a few years ago. She decided to move to England where her parents had met as nothing was tying her to the states anymore and she had been fascinated with London. She had heard their stories when they lived in London and it became her most desired place to be. She finally found the opportunity to go and took it. Now that she was here, she loved it more every day.

When Lily was a little girl, she was in love with fairy tale stories. To this day, she was still waiting for her prince charming to come and sweep her off her feet. She found that she was a difficult person to love, but if the right man came around, he would see past that and love her for all of her flaws and imperfections. Until that day, she would work hard making a name for herself. She wanted a man to woo her and romance her. When she was 15, she had her life plan set. She would go to college after graduating high school and she would double major in Communications and Event Planning. She would then work on moving to London to start work. When she was 27, she would meet her prince charming and when she was 28, they would marry. They would have a couple years to themselves of being together and then they would have one child, a girl, when they were 30. He had to be her same age, but born earlier in the year. She was born in August, so he had to have been born in any of the previous seven months.

He had to be successful and pleasant with wonderful parents. She desired to have a good relationship with her in-laws as she herself did not grow up with grandparents and had always wished to. In her mind, she wasn't asking for much but those were her requirements and she was not going to waiver. She had turned down many suitors because she was not yet 27, therefore, they couldn't be her true love.

"Hello, may I sit here?" a soothing voice inquired, pointing to the seat next to her on the bench. She looked up and saw an elderly looking man with a very long white beard and twinkling blue eyes.

"Of course," Lily replied, smiling pleasantly at the elderly man.

"Thank you, dear. Say, I'm a regular on this street and I don't remember seeing you previously," he mentioned casually, not looking to her.

"Oh, I'm not from around here. I actually tend to visit a park early in the morning on Saturdays but today, I wanted a change of scenery," she explained, folding her newspaper up and turning to the man. Her parents always taught her to be polite to her elders as they had a wisdom in life she may never learn.

"I see. Looking for work?" he inquired, smiling. Upon seeing her confused look, he continued: "You were looking in the job section of the London Equistar."

Lily nodded, blushing slightly. "Ah, yes. I guess you could say I'm looking for a change of scenery in more than one area."

The elderly man held out his hand to hers, shaking it. "My name is Albus Dumbledore."

"Lily Evans," Lily replied.

"America, I assume?" he inquired gently. She nodded in response.

"My accent give it away?" she asked as he grinned.

"Absolutely, Ms. Evans," he stated, and then a knowing grin spread across his face. "You should check the London Times in a few days for more job positions. I find that they have a better selection at times. Unfortunately, they are only sold at the small coffee shop at the corner of Peak Avenue and Shepherd's Run."

Lily nodded in appreciation. "Thank you, Mr. Dumbledore." She looked to her watch and inwardly groaned. "Well, it was nice speaking with you, I hope you have a great day, sir."

"Thank you, Ms. Evans. I hope to see you again if you ever visit this spot," he stated, smiling. She responded in the like, offered him her newspaper, and walked off.

Present Day

Lily Evans walked into a rather large building, anxious for her interview. She had taken Mr. Dumbledore's advice and looked into the London Times. She had found a position opened immediately for a personal assistant for the CEO of Potters' and Son's Enterprise. The company was the competition of her current company with Todd. She smoothed her business skirt to ensure that no wrinkle existed. She had opted to wear a black dress suit with the skirt stopping just above her knee. She wore matching black pumps and a light purple blouse. Her long, wavy red hair had been placed into a high pony tail with her bangs neatly in place. Her black-rimmed glasses covered her green eyes even though she had perfect vision. Working in business for a few years, she found that people took her more seriously when she wore glasses as, to them, it implied some intelligence.

"Hello, Ms.….?" The man at the front desk asked. He was a rather large man with a friendly expression. She looked at his name tag and saw that it read 'Joe Ellison, front desk security'.

"Evans. Lily Evans. I'm here for an interview with Mr. Potter," she stated, holding her voice steady of nerves. She smiled widely and sweetly, showing off her pearly whites.

The man looked down at a list of names, with many names that had already been crossed off, and checked off her name, the last name.

He grinned. "Alright, Ms. Evans, please follow George to the elevators," he stated, pointing to a man that was standing off to the side. He was watching them and smiled at Lily when she turned to face him.

"Thank you, Mr. Ellison," she smiled, and then followed George to the elevators with her briefcase gently in her hand. He walked to the last elevator and flashed a badge. He stepped inside of the elevator with Lily following behind. He dialed a number into a number pad, ensuring the Lily couldn't see the numbers he was dialing. The elevator accepted the numbers, closed its doors, and sped off to the 21st floor.

"Ms. Evans, good luck to you," he smiled, as the doors opened and he indicated for her to go to the front desk.

"Thank you, George," she stated and walked to the front desk as the elevator doors closed, bringing George back to the first floor. At the front desk was a petite woman with shoulder length dirty blond hair that was in perfect order. Her perfectly manicured nails were typing on a lap top sitting in front of her. She briefly looked up and smiled at Lily, indicating for her to hold on one moment. Her light blue eyes were focused on the document she was typing. When she finished a thought, she folded her hands and looked to the redhead.

"Your name?" she asked, still smiling.

"Lily Evans," the redhead stated. The blond smiled and crossed off Lily's name on her list.

"Alright, Ms. Evans, please take a seat anywhere and Mr. Potter will be ready for your shortly. Lily listened, walking towards the waiting area. Instead of sitting down, she watched the fish tank. She hated fish. They were such a pointless pet.

Lily didn't feel that she needed to prepare for the interview. When she was in college, she went to many interview practice sessions to ensure she would stand out. She knew it would be no problem. Plus, she knew the types of Mr. Potter. She studied his background and that of his closest confidents. She had to learn it at her last job. She knew he was a wealthy bachelor who went through personal assistants like crazy whenever they would become romantic, as the rumor stated. It was disgusting, really. Lily turned to the double doors when she heard it open and a beautiful brunette walked out, blushing. Lily held back her eyes from rolling on their own accord.

"Ms. Evans, sir," the woman at the front desk notified the man standing at the door.

He nodded, accepting the information and turning to Lily.

"Follow me, please," he muttered, clearly tired. It was now 7:57 P.M. and Lily knew she was the last interview. She requested to be the last person interviewed when she spoke with a man named Mr. Lupin on the phone.

"Ms. Evans, I'm Mr. Potter," he stated, shaking her hand and indicating the chair she was to sit at when they entered his rather large office. She was sitting on one side of a long table while two men, other than Mr. Potter, occupied two of the three seats on the other side of the table. "This is Mr. Black and Mr. Lupin. They will be listening in on the interview."

Lily nodded hello, smiling. Mr. Potter grabbed the center seat and looked at his notes.

"I saw you admiring the fish out there. Do you like fish?" he asked, without making eye contact.

Holding back an eyebrow raise, she responded, "no."

"No?" he simply inquired.

"I don't like fish," she responded, crossing one leg over the other and sitting up straight.

"Why not?" he asked, still not looking at her.

"They're useless pets. Simply a living decoration more than anything…kind of like a plant, I suppose."

He rose an eyebrow at her. "So pets are only meant to bring you satisfaction through what…the ability to play with it? Kind of selfish, isn't it?" he asked bluntly.

Blushing slightly, Lily held her ground. "Leave them in the ocean or the lakes where they have originated from. Having them as pets is only more money spent for a look. Buy a painting and a dog. You can decorate your home with paintings and have a dog that you can have actual responsibility over."

"Interesting," he stated, not sounding very interested. "Tell me about yourself," he stated, not looking up from his notes.

"I'm originally from America, having grown up in New York City. There, I went to school for Public Communication and Event Planning with a 4.0 G.P.A. I have worked under celebrity Lucy Lane in America while attending college until I moved to London to work for Todd Bellingham, CEO of Genaro, Inc. I am able to type 83 words per minute and I am a hard worker. I will work until the job is complete to your satisfaction. I do not believe in procrastination and will ensure that you are at every meeting on time," she replied, her smile unwavering. He nodded, without looking up. She watched as Mr. Black and Mr. Lupin each took notes.

"Why are you looking to leave Mr. Bellingham's work?"

"We are currently going through a conflict of interest that is damaging to the work environment," she stated, having practiced that statement briefly.

"So he wants to sleep with you?" James asked frankly.

"In a manner of speaking, possibly," Lily blushed. One of her flaws was that she blushed so easily. James simply nodded but didn't respond to that line of questioning.

"What are your hobbies outside of work?"

"I've been dancing since I was 2, ballet, ballroom, and salsa. I assist in a couple different dance schools in London on occasion. I serve food at a local homeless shelter every week, I run in the mornings, and I read every day."

"How long have you been in London?"

"Nearly a year," Lily responded.

"And how many friends have you made?" he asked.

"Well," she started, blushing again. "None, sir. I work a lot."

"I see. A bit of a loner, then," he stated not as a question.

"You could say that," Lily replied.

"That's why I did, Ms. Evans," he stated, sounding bored. "You may go. The interview is over."

"Excuse me?" Lily asked before she could stop the words from coming out of her mouth. For the first time, he looked up. "May I ask why?"

"I said that you may go. I am not interested in hiring someone who worked for Mr. Bellingham as the last employee that I hired that came from his company was simply collecting information on my company. How do you think his company grew so quickly? Not out of his intelligence, I'm sure. Then there's the fact that you are, indeed, a loner. The personal assistant needs to be able to make relationships with others. If you've been here for nearly a year and still have not been involved a relationship with anyone to build a friendship, then I question your ability to complete this job successfully. This position requires talking with many of my business partners and competitors which will imply you have the capability of speaking to them without offense. You dislike fish because of the lack of satisfaction it brings you which implies you like things that bring you satisfaction rather than because it is a living creature. This interview, as I stated, is finished. Thank you for your time."

"With the utmost of respect, sir, I don't think you've given me a fair shot."

"That's not your decision, is it?" he countered. "Tell me, Miss. Evans, why should I hire you above all of the other applicants I have seen today?"

Lily grinned. "I won't sleep with arrogant pricks like you," she smiled sweetly. "It's against my moral code and quite frankly, you're not my type…not even in a million years."

James rose his eyebrow in response while Sirius and Remus grinned and held back laughs.

"Arrogant prick, hmm? I see you judge before you even know me, Ms. Evans. Poor quality in a personal assistant, I shall think," he finally stated, a flash of irritation in his eyes. He stood from his position, seeming to intend for her to do the same. She ignored that and responded.

"You grew up in money. Your great-grandfather, Alexander James Potter, had started this company with his own money and intelligence. His wife was a dancer in the courts. They both worked hard to ensure this company was a success, not for their personal well-being, but for the greater good of society. They were honest, hard-working individuals. Your grandfather, Alexander James the second, helped his father with the company to ensure it grew rapidly. He worked day and night to provide for his family and give to the poor. He was very high into charity. Your grandmother had worked as a scientist and he fell in love with her because of her persistence to ensure perfection. She died in childbirth, giving birth to her only son and your father, Charlie James, naming him after her own father who had been murdered when someone tried to kidnap your grandmother. Your grandfather never remarried. Your father took pride in the family business, growing it tremendously throughout the world. He married his childhood sweetheart, Arielle Haughton. She became a successful lawyer for this company, having a very high success rate of closing cases. She was a brilliant woman. I know that your parents both died when you were seven years old, leaving your Aunt, her sister, to take care of you. She spoiled you rotten, quite literally. You became, and still are, a spoiled brat who gets what he wants. Your two best friends are sitting in this room here and Mr. Lupin's sister is sitting out there. You and your two friends kept getting in trouble but of course, your aunt ensured that it wasn't released to the press to make sure your name remained clean. I know that your aunt has been trying to steal your assets and has been in the middle of a legal battle.

"Now, shall I get more personal? Your favorite color is grey, nice and bland. You had a dog named Rosco growing up. Dogs are your favorite pets. You lack a fashion sense, which I'm going to guess is where your personal assistant comes in. Your socks do not match your tie. You played every sport imaginable and you enjoy doing triathlons. However, you don't really donate much money but when you do, you ensure the tabloids hear. How am I doing so far? You hate getting close to people, but you do have a few close friends. You lack self-control and _you _are selfish, hence why you are searching for yet another personal assistant as you simply cannot keep your pants zipped. You, James Potter, are never satisfied. Oh, and your favorite food is throw up, otherwise known as cottage cheese."

Lily was now crossing her arms, a wicked smile spread across her face. "I do my research, Mr. Potter. And no information is too far for me to catch it, hence why I know about your unwritten legal issues when you were underage. Now what, daresay, do you know about me? You were clearly eager to end the interview before it even started so you must know something about me that would make you want to close the door. What is it?"

Remus and Sirius were scribbling furiously in their notebooks, smiles spread across their face while James eyed Lily suspiciously.

"Why did you work for Mr. Bellingham? Poor choice of work."

Lily shrugged. "What can I say – I like a challenge."

"You are leaving work with Mr. Bellingham because of, most likely, sexual advances. And yet, here you are, interviewing with a man you believe has no…what was it?...ah, yes, 'self-control' and cannot keep his 'pants zipped'. This simply makes no sense to me. If I had any sense, I would suggest that it is _you _who is putting the sexual advances on Mr. Bellingham and he responded negatively and now you're looking for your next victim."

She flushed in anger at his statement as he walked over to her.

"Let me walk you out," he stated, indicating to the door. Lily made a face and stood from her position, holding onto her briefcase and standing close to him.

"I'm curious. Did you even bother to read my resume or are you simply going off which woman looks to be easiest to sleep with?" she spat.

James grinned. "Fiery redheads are not my type. A piece of advice, keep your pretty little legs closed when working with Mr. Bellingham…it'll make the work environment much better."

"I'll walk myself out," Lily stated and walked out of his office angrily.

"Have a good-" the woman at the front desk, Ally Lupin started, but stopped when Lily had already rushed out. Ally looked confusedly to James who was standing at his door.

"Didn't go well?" she asked as Remus and Sirius pounced to the door, meeting James.

"We've made a decision!" Remus exclaimed excitedly, throwing an arm around James' shoulders. James furrowed his eyebrows.

"Don't I get a say? Let me look at those notes," he stated, reaching out for their notebooks. They hid them behind their backs childishly.

"Nope; she's _perfect_," Sirius exclaimed. "James Potter, meet your match, Lily Evans, your new personal assistant who wouldn't sleep with you in a million years! So now, we can set you up on more _actual _dates."

"No," James frowned, crossing his arms. "It makes no sense why she would transfer to this company when she believes I make it a habit to sleep with my personal assistants. She's leaving her current company to go to a company she believes will be the same? I don't believe that for a second."

"Yes," Remus stated. "As your voice of reason, she's exactly what you want. She will not sleep with you and she will do her work. Perhaps she finds that you will be easier to resist," he laughed.

Sirius ran past Remus and James, flashing his badge to run down the staircases.

"Where are you going?" James yelled out, angrily, towards Sirius' back but Sirius was already running down the stair cases. Ally was looking at them amusedly.

"I'm going to guess it went well?" she asked. Remus nodded and James shook his head.

"Absolutely not. She's a bloody American nightmare. I will _not _employ her!" James declared, crossing his arms across his chest stubbornly.

"Did you want someone who would want to sleep with you or not?" Remus asked, crossing his arms as well, mimicking James. "James, we _need _you to have a break and actually go on dates. Sticking with your personal assistants is not working very well and as you reminded us, not that we needed it, is that you are running out of time. She's fully capable of being your personal assistant so that you can focus on other things."

"Fine," James muttered, begrudgingly. "Bloody women," he groaned.

"Hey!" Ally declared, standing up from her position, revealing just how short she really was. "You take that back or I'll make sure the media has every personal detail that I've been hiding for blackmail!"

James grinned. "Sorry, Ally. Bloody women, minus Ally, the great and wonderful," he cooed at her. She grinned.

"That's my boy," she smiled, gathering her paperwork and documents to get ready to leave.

Sirius was just catching up to the angry redhead that had already left the building and was halfway to her vehicle.

"Ms. Evans! Ms. Evans!" he called out. She turned ever so slightly to see him at the corner of her eye. She waited for him to reach up with her.

"Yes?" she asked, irritated.

"What time can you come in tomorrow?" Sirius asked, grinning.

"Why?"

"Because you've just been hired. You're exactly the person Remus and I want. James wants it too, but he just doesn't know it yet. We'd like to offer you a position as his personal assistant."

"And he's okay with this?" she asked, confused.

Sirius shrugged. "He'll come around. So…interested?"

"Very. I can be in at 8 in the morning, sharp. Must I bring anything?"

"Bring your identification and your eligibility to work here. Everything else will be provided and you will begin training tomorrow. Joe from the front desk will direct you to Human Resources when you come in tomorrow so that the proper paperwork can be completed. You can call me Sirius, by the way."

Lily nodded. "Lily."

"Okay. I will see you tomorrow then. Drive safely, Lily," Sirius stated, shaking her hand goodbye. He watched as she got in her car and safely drove away. He grinned to himself, shaking his head. _This will be interesting,_ he thought to himself as he reentered the building to laugh at his good friend.


	3. Chapter 3: Keep Your Enemies Close

**Every Beast Has Their Beauty**

_Disclaimer: _I am not J.K. Rowling. I do not own any of her work.

_Author's Note:_ I wasn't going to post this today but in honor of my first review on a story ever, I just had to. Thanks to the 'Guest' for being my first review :)

_Chapter 3: Keep Your Enemies Close_

_Thursday, August 9_

Lily woke up early the next morning to go running on her favored path. She was anxious for her first day of work. She didn't feel guilty in the slightest for quitting working with Todd Bellingham with no notice. It has been horrible the past month or so as everyday she was avoiding his advances. Mr. Potter was a piece of work though and she knew it was going to be hard work. However, she also knew that he was more of an honest man to work for than her previous boss.

She threw on her sneakers and pulled her hair into a high ponytail. The sun had barely risen when she was halfway done her morning run up and down various hills and paths. Her headphones blocked out the bustling noises of the cars rushing by and the muscles in her body screamed in excitement, waking up from the sleep she had received. Forty minutes after her run, she was back in her apartment and turning on the cold water to take a shower. She finished her shower within five minutes and put on a pot of coffee. While her coffee was getting made, she quickly combed and blow dried her hair so that she could then get dressed. She completed her hair, putting it up in a high ponytail with her bangs combed down nicely. She applied natural makeup and chapstick before finally putting on her decorative glasses.

Looking at her watch, she saw that it was time to leave. She poured her coffee into a travel mug, grabbed a nutritious bar and her briefcase and then headed out without a second glance. After a thirty minute drive, she was walking into the large building once again. She had brought her tooth brush with her so that she could brush her teeth after her coffee.

"Good morning, Ms. Evans," the man, Joe, said smiling. She had been twenty minutes early. "You're early."

Lily nodded. "Good morning Mr. Ellison. Is there a bathroom I can use before going to Human Resources?" she asked, smiling.

The older man shook his head. "Please, call me Joe. And there is a bathroom to your left. Here's the key. Just return it before I send you to Human Resources."

Lily smiled and said her thanks before heading to the bathroom so that she could brush her teeth. She always brushed her teeth immediately after eating or drinking anything that could stain her teeth. Appearances were very important in this line of work. When she returned, James was at the front desk speaking with Joe. Joe had been pointing in the direction of the bathroom so Lily guessed they were talking about her.

She walked up to the desk, standing next to James.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter. Thank you," she said to Joe as she gave him back the key.

James nodded at her. "Come with me," he stated.

"Okay," she nodded and waved goodbye to Joe as she followed James into the last elevator.

They went together in an uncomfortable silence. Lily looked at him out of the corner of her eye and saw that he was really handsome, just as the papers dictated him to be. His hazel eyes were dark in concentration and his jaw was clenched tightly leaving his mouth in a scowl. It was not becoming of his handsome features. He was wearing a nice black suit with the jacket being left open. His black shoes shined as if they had just been cleaned before he left in the morning. His eyes remained straight ahead, focused on the doors as they waited until they reached the 21st floor. Finally, it came to a stop on the floor needed.

He made a gesture with his hand to indicate for her to step ahead of him. She complied.

"I will take you to Human Resources shortly. However, I thought we could start over, in a sense. This will be your desk, by the way."

"Thank you," Lily stated, acknowledging his statement as they walked into his office. He took a seat at his desk and she took a seat across from him. They sat in silence for a few moments as he studied her. He could tell that she was slightly uncomfortable underneath the stares, but she held her chin high and shoulders back. She had bright green eyes underneath her glasses, but the beauty was vaguely hidden. Her pale skin made her red hair even more vibrant and she wore a professionally fitted pant suit with a light colored blouse. She crossed her legs and rested her manicured hands on them, waiting for him to continue.

"My name is James Potter, and you seem to know quite a lot about my history. So, tell me about yours," he stated, sitting back into his chair, relaxed.

"My mother and father are originally from a small town outside of London. We came to visit when I was a little girl and I fell in love with the city. They moved to America for a change before they had my sister and I. My mother is a journalist in New York City and my father owns a growing law firm. They met in a university in London through a mutual friend. They named my sister and me after my mother's two favorite flowers. I never met my grandparents so I couldn't tell you much about them except that they all lived in England."

"What's your sister's name?"

"Petunia."

"Are you close?"

Lily shrugged. "We share the same DNA."

James half-smiled at that. "I'll take that as a no, then." He eyed her down before continuing.

"How's your sex life?"

Lily rose an eyebrow. "I hardly think that's an appropriate question for business, nor do I find it applicable."

"I need to make sure you won't try to hit on me and then I'll have wasted my time again," he stated, shrugging.

"My word is just going to have to be enough. You're not my type."

"What is your type?"

"Gentleman."

"Am I not a gentleman?"

Lily snorted. "Not even on your good days."

He held back a smile as he continued: "are you a virgin?"

"Does it matter?"

"Not really, no," James smirked. "How was working for Mr. Bellingham?"

"It had its benefits," Lily stated.

"Like…?" he asked, making a hand motion for her to continue.

"I received an apartment. I got to go to fancy restaurants with him."

"Apartment? How long do you have until you need to move out?"

"This weekend," Lily shrugged.

"I see. Well, Ms. Evans, I will be out for most of today. I will walk you down to Human Resources and then you will meet up with Sirius and/or Remus who will guide you through some of your responsibilities. Oh, and please, call me James if we are going to be working together. I will not see you the rest of the week as I have many important matters to deal with."

He stood from his position and met her at the door.

"Lily, then. You can call me Lily," Lily stated, shaking his hand before following him to her next destination.

Lily was filling out paperwork with Human Resources until lunch time. The business was very strict, ensuring that there were no loop holes. She had to sign many papers including one which stated that if she had any romantic interaction, from anything as simple as a kiss to as complex as sexual intercourse, with the CEO, James Potter, regardless of if he made the move or she did, her employment contract would be immediately void and she would have to be terminated. She laughed at that one. By the time she had finished, her signature had changed slightly with the amount of times she had to sign it.

Sirius had met her in the office and took her to the lunch room on the second floor with Remus, his sister, and her roommate.

"One of the perks of working for this company is free lunch," he grinned as they walked into the large cafeteria that was filled with an assortment of foods. Lily rose an eyebrow at the selection as he walked her around pointing out the different stations. They walked around with their tray collecting various foods before they walked to the table where Remus, Ally, and her roommate were waiting with their own trays.

"Good afternoon, Lily," Remus stated, nodding at her as she took her seat next to Ally's roommate. "This is Sahara Noxley," he nodded at a woman with very curly dark hair and dark eyes that shone with happiness. "I believe you've already met my sister, Ally."

"Lily, the one who left James Potter speechless," Sahara smiled, shaking Lily's hand. Lily blushed slightly.

"Lily," Ally nodded in acknowledgment.

"How has your day been going so far?" Sirius asked curiously.

"It's been fine. I've only really filled out paperwork. I saw Mr. Pot-er, James, this morning briefly so I haven't really done much. I heard you and Remus will be teaching me about my position in this company for the rest of the evening."

Sirius nodded. "We will be, yes. Not many people last long in this position, as you have hinted at during your interview," he grinned. "But we expect you to do much better. Remus and I voted for you to be successful, so don't let us down."

"Thank you for that," Lily nodded, smiling.

"So, Lily, we heard you were looking for a new apartment. We have open space in our loft and wouldn't mind for you to be our roommate. The bedroom is already furnished but if you have your own furniture, we can take care of that," Ally stated. "You can come on by today after work to view it. We can have dinner and get to know each other to see if it'll be a good fit."

"How'd you know I was looking for a new apartment?" Lily asked curiously.

"James mentioned it briefly. Asked us if we would mind sharing our apartment with you, which we don't mind," Ally shrugged.

Lily furrowed her eyebrows. "Why would he volunteer your apart-oh, he doesn't trust me, does he?"

Ally bit her lip in response, exchanging a look with Sirius. "Well, darling," Sirius started, "no…he doesn't."

"And he wants you to babysit me?" Lily asked, eyebrows lifting amusedly.

"Well, not _babysitting_," Sahara reasoned, racking her head for an excuse. "Okay…he just wants to protect his company…and he trusts us so he wants us to look after you…and all…you know. But, we don't agree with him! We don't think you're a traitor…I mean, not that we know you too well, but it just sounds far-fetched. James is paranoid…like, really paranoid…we don't mind rooming with you though, honest!"

"Sahara, you're rambling," Ally sang out. "Listen, Lily, it's nothing personal. But, we do have an open room and the rent is free and we would love to have a third roommate again. Besides, if you have nothing to hide, what's there to lose?"

"Okay, I would like that," Lily smiled. "And I don't have much of my own stuff except for clothing, really. I came to London on the premise of working for Mr. Bellingham and he provided my apartment and furniture."

"He's a bloody git, that one," Ally stated, frowning deeply. Sahara nodded eagerly in agreement.

They continued their lunch in mindless chit chat before Sirius brought Lily back upstairs to train her on some of her responsibilities such as the proper way that they would expect her to answer the phone, how to read and respond to e-mails, where James' schedule was and how to make changes to it, and how he would expect her to take minutes during his meetings. As his personal assistant, she would be expected to go to some of his most important meetings to take minutes for him so that he wasn't concerned with that process and could focus on the conversation. She also had a list of all the clothing that he offered and was to select him an outfit each day as he just couldn't match anything but in his position, appearance had a lot to say.

After they were finished for the day, Sirius brought Lily down to the first floor where Ally and Sahara were waiting for her.

"Hey Lily," Sahara greeted. "We are going to have you follow us to our loft. We will drive slow for you. It's only about five minutes away from here."

Lily nodded and followed them out. They followed her to her car and then ran to get theirs to drive to where she was parked. Lily then pulled out and followed them briefly until she arrived at their location, parking near them. She followed them inside, greeting a happy dark-skinned man who greeted Sahara and Ally by name and then to the elevators. They stopped on the eighth floor and entered a long hallway. They walked to the end of the hallway and waited as Sahara unlocked the door.

Lily's eyes widened at the beautiful room in front of her. They opened into a hallway that had a door to one of the bedrooms immediately on the right side. That bedroom had their own bathroom connected to it on the inside. According to the women, it was Sahara's bedroom. Walking along the hallway, they came across the second bedroom on the right side that also had a bathroom connected to it. On the left side, there was a door to the master bedroom that belonged to Ally. Her room had floor to ceiling windows on one side that opened up to a balcony as well as a bathroom that was connected to her bedroom. At the end of the hallway, they turned left and opened a set of double doors that opened into a large circular living room with a fireplace, floor to ceiling windows, a balcony, and a spiral staircase that brought them upstairs to the kitchen and dining room with an attached half-bath. The room also had floor to ceiling windows. After leaving the apartment, there was rooftop access at the end of the hallway to a roof that had a beautiful garden and seating area. Their apartment complex also had a personal gym and swimming pool for its tenants.

"Wow," Lily grinned. "They sure do spoil you. The company pays for this?"

"Yep; it's a gift from James. He's not as horrible a person as he seems," Ally explained, plopping down on a chair at the table while Sahara went on preparing dinner. Lily sat down across from Ally.

"How long have you worked for James?" Lily asked curiously.

"Well, I was his first personal assistant when I was just 19. I worked under him for 2 years before I switched to a different department. And no, before you ask, I did not sleep with him. He's best friends with my brother and he's practically a brother to me. Besides, I've been seeing the same person for 3 years now," Ally explained, sipping from a glass of water.

"Is he always such an arrogant prick?" Lily asked before she could stop the words from escaping. She blushed at the forwardness.

Ally and Sahara both laughed. "No, not always. It's not easy being 24 and a billionaire. He works too much and has too many responsibilities. That's why Remus and Sirius help out where they can. You're going to be busy as well. He has meetings every day. He does take the weekends off, mostly. He will only work from home on the weekends, having an assistant only contact him if it is absolutely necessary. He's actually quite nice, although you don't see him donating much. Don't judge him on that; he does put his money to good use even though the public doesn't see it."

"How so?"

"Well, that's something you'd have to find out through time working with James. He doesn't usually inform anyone how he uses his finances. I only know because I helped him when I was his P.A." Ally explained.

"So, Lily, we hear you and James didn't exactly hit it off when you interviewed with him. From what I hear, James was against hiring you but Sirius and Remus made the decision that you were perfect. What exactly happened?"

Lily shrugged. "I'm a master of manipulation," she joked. "Plus, I told him he wasn't my type and I would never sleep with him."

"Ah, so James Potter has met his match," Sahara reasoned, as she turned the oven on to cook whatever it was she was making.

"Why did you decide to work for James after working for Bellingham?" Ally asked. "Pure curiosity," she added upon seeing Lily's accusatory glance.

"They both have a lot in common in that they are both arrogant, spoiled brats, but Todd was a whole different character. Their business tends to cheat their way into money whereas James' business has an honest background."

"That's the only reason you switched?" Sahara asked.

"One of many, I'm afraid. But I would say it was one of the top reasons."

"And the other reasons?" Sahara continued.

"Let's just say we didn't agree on a particular situation in relation to our relationship. It was time for a change," Lily stated, taking off her useless glasses and setting them on the table carefully.

"Do you ever wear contacts?" Ally asked.

"No need to. I have perfect vision."

"Then why the glasses?" Sahara asked curiously.

"I find that it is better to minimize my looks in any way possible so that men will take my position seriously. I will admit that my eyes are my best feature, so I try to downplay them so that they aren't as noticeable. I'm pretty serious about my work and do not want my bosses getting distracted."

"Alright, you have to be our roommate! You're absolutely perfect," Ally grinned happily. "Please, _please,_ stay. You're going to be around for a while."

"Plus, it's free! That third bedroom is awfully lonely," Sahara agreed.

"Was the third bedroom always unoccupied?" Lily asked.

"Nope; Sirius' sister used to live with us but she has since gotten married and had twins. Clearly, she couldn't stay in our bachelorette pad."

"Bachelorette pad?"

"Eh, it's a name we decided to go with since the boys call theirs a bachelor pad. We aren't actually bachelorette's. Please, we hardly have time to eat every day," Ally explained. "And as I said, I'm seeing someone, singular."

"Gotcha. So, are Remus and Sirius like James?"

"Sirius is more so. They are the best of friends so they all share some traits, whether intentional or not. They have calmed down a lot seeing as they don't get in nearly as much trouble as they did in school. Sirius and James are nearly the same person in different bodies except James is more serious when it comes to work. Remus keeps them stable," Ally stated.

"Don't let James' hard exterior fool you. He really is a sweetheart," Sahara stated.

"Do you like him?" Lily accused before stopping the words from escaping her lips.

Sahara and Ally laughed in response.

"Sahara has her eye on someone else…but she won't let me set them up," Ally stated, rolling her eyes at her blushing friend. "Remus," she explained, answering Lily's questioning glance.

"I don't want to ruin the friendship!" Sahara exclaimed. Ally just shook her head in response.

Lily smiled at the girls. Since being in London, she hadn't really had a chance to meet people or make friends because she worked all of the time. She wasn't a person that gained friends easily because she was so focused on whatever work she had to do. In school, she was focused on her studies and interning. However, she was finding that it felt good to talk to others about whatever came to mind. She could see that she might possibly become friends with these girls.

"Well, if the option is still out there, I would very much like the chance to occupy that third bedroom."

Ally and Sahara cheered excitedly. They loved meeting new people and making friends, especially friends that were not interested in their connections with the three boys.


	4. Chapter 4: Working Relationship

**Every Beast Has Their Beauty**

_Disclaimer:_ I am not J.K. Rowling. I do not own any of her work.

_Chapter 4: Working Relationship_

Saturday August 11

_Dear Ray & Lizzie,_

_How are the twins? Hope to see them soon…how long's it been now, nearly three months? Their Uncle wants to spoil them rotten so they can be brats for you! Just kidding, but really. Where have you been? Any news yet? As you know, I just turned 24…less than a year left and I highly doubt I will be finding 'true love' anytime soon. I'm hoping that you guys have found something, but I'd assume that if you did, you would have informed me, so no luck. How is everyone? How's the wizarding world? I'm going crazy without it. I never thought I would have gone this long without it. Hope to see you soon._

_James_

James finished writing the letter and rolled it up. He attached it to an owl that was perching on the ledge. Gabriella Lizette, otherwise known as Lizzie, was Sirius' older sister by two years. She had originally moved in with Ally and Sahara while they were in the muggle world but she and her long-term boyfriend got married and got pregnant, giving birth to two twin boys within two years of the curse. They went back to the wizarding community to search for a different means to break the curse that James was under. Although they didn't want James to pay them, he paid them as if they worked for him full-time as they had. They worked as aurors on the side but were focused on the cure for the curse. James looked to her as if she were his own sister.

She and her family usually popped in every month to check up on things but they have failed to do so for three months now and James was getting slightly worried. Rubbing a hand through his hair, he left his loft for the day to go meet with Lily. Remus and Sirius were going to help her move her things later even though she claimed she hadn't needed any help. James was going to take her out for coffee and breakfast so that they could become familiar with each other and perhaps have a better working relationship. He hadn't seen her since he talked to her on her first day as he had been busy. Transitioning a Personal Assistant always took a lot of work, especially given the particular circumstances.

"I'm here to see Lily Evans in room 207," he told the person at the front desk. The older woman at the front desk nodded, pointed to the elevators, and told him to go to the second floor and turn to the right.

When the elevator got to the second floor, he walked down the hallway to the right, looking for room 207. He found it near the end of the hallway. Hearing a couple of voices on the other side of the door, he hesitated before finally deciding to knock. Angrily, the door was opened by a tall man with short blond hair and grey eyes. He was built just as well as James was and looked just as young. It was Todd Bellingham, 36 year old soon-to-be CEO of James' competitor company.

"Mr. Potter," he stated nodding. "I heard you won over my Personal Assistant." He moved to the side, allowing James to enter. He saw Lily standing behind her kitchen counter with fiery green eyes. She looked really upset but upon seeing James, she eased.

"I was just explaining to my lovely flower that I wanted her to come back to Genaro. However, she informs me that she has betrayed us by becoming your personal assistant. My, does she work fast."

James nodded. "Yes, she is my personal assistant. Am I interrupting anything important?" he asked to Lily.

"No, Mr. Bellingham was just leaving," she stated firmly.

Todd grinned wickedly. "I'll see you again, my flower," he stated, nodded to James, and then stalked out of the apartment. Lily let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She unclenched her fists, realizing that her nails were indenting her skin.

"Is everything okay?" James asked softly, trying to assess the situation. He shut the door quietly.

"Yes, sir. Let me just grab my jacket and I will be ready to go," she stated smoothly and walked over to her bedroom. James waited patiently by her door until she returned. She was dressed casually, as he had previously informed her, with fitted jeans, a simple green blouse, and a light jacket. She grabbed her small purse and then walked back to him.

"Are you ready?" she asked when he didn't move.

He nodded his head and then left the apartment, waiting only for her to lock it up.

They walked in silence down to a nearby Breakfast diner and grabbed an empty table. After putting their order in, they waited in silence awkwardly.

"How is everything so far?" he asked softly. He's never sat with a woman who was so confident around him that it was throwing him off.

"Fine. Remus and Sirius have been very helpful; Ally and Sahara have been very friendly and the other staff I have met have been friendly as well. The food is delicious and the new apartment is quite lovely."

He nodded. "Good. Now, starting on Monday, you will be working with me. I need you at a few important meetings which I will review with you to discuss which meetings are important. On your tablet you will see a list of my clothing that I need you to match up for outfits. It is not my expertise," he started and then looked at her with cold eyes. "I'll be honest, Lily, I do not trust you just yet. For all I know, you're still working with Mr. Bellingham and trying to gain Intel. You need to prove to me that you are trustworthy and will not betray me. I also ensure you that if you are looking to gain any information, you will not succeed."

"I see. And how do you expect I do gain your trust, Mr. Potter? And please, call me Ms. Evans until you find that you can trust me," she stated calmly, not looking offended by his determination.

James shrugged. "Time, I suppose. You've already gained the trust my closest confidents, but that does not mean I need to trust you."

"I understand. It is wise for you to be on edge around me in order to protect your company. I hope that through time you realize I am not that kind of person; nor do Mr. Bellingham and I have any kind of relationship. I hope to not see him much after I relocate. However, I do expect to see him at the company parties as I had seen you when I attended the parties with him."

"Really? I hadn't noticed you."

Lily shrugged. "I am capable of blending in. Plus, you tend to have a personal assistant who is hanging on you, forgetting her manners at the party. Perhaps it's the wine."

James grinned. "Perhaps. Thank you," he stated to the waitress who dropped off their food. "So, you mentioned you like to run."

Lily nodded. "It's good for the soul."

"That it is. Have you run in any marathons?"

"Not in London. I ran a few 10k's in America. Well, four, to be exact."

"Our company will be participating in the Annual Save the Orphans Run in April. It's a 10k as well. If you make it that long, I would love for you to participate. None of my previous personal assistants, Ally included, ever ran."

"Do you run?" Lily inquired. James nodded.

"Occasionally. I'm more of a cyclist, really. Do you run in the mornings?" James asked to which Lily nodded. "Then you ought to be careful as there have been some muggings in the mornings."

"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind. What are your other hobbies besides cycling and staying in the tabloids?" she grinned. He hid back a smile.

"I don't have time for much outside of work," he shrugged.

"That's odd, since the tabloids have you attending many bars with many different women."

James grinned, swallowing his orange juice. "I like to have a good time. Is that a crime?"

"Just an observation, Mr. Potter. So, do you like what you do?" Lily asked.

"I like to work, Ms. Evans. What I do doesn't matter as much as staying busy does."

She nodded, understanding. "So, I see you and Mr. Bellingham do not get along very well."

"We have our differences. How did you manage nearly a year with him?"

"He trusted me to do my job and I did. It's only until recently that our differences came to light," she explained, shrugging. "He was a decent man."

James snorted. "That man has not one decent bone, Ms. Evans, so you must be either ignorant or hopeless."

Lily rose an eyebrow at him, swallowing down a piece of toast. "Because anyone who has a different view than you means that they must be ignorant or hopeless? I see the logic. Are you always right?"

"Yes. I can read people very well. I've known Mr. Bellingham for quite some time now. I know things about him that he would hate for anyone to find out. I'd like to say that I know him better than you do. You appear to be just a girl who sticks her nose where it doesn't belong – not that it matters much in your current position. As long as you do your job successfully, you can stick your nose wherever you'd like."

Lily narrowed her eyes at him. "Better be careful, someone might overhear our conversation and think that the tabloids are right when they describe you as a pompous misogynist."

James grinned. "Not everything they say is incorrect. Misogynist…isn't that a big word for your vocabulary?"

Lily slowly finished chewing what was in her mouth and then swallowed it, staring at him intently. "So, tell me, how is it you get women to sleep with you? Have they no self-dignity?"

"I don't 'get women' to sleep with me. They tend to come onto me willingly. Something about being awfully handsome and incredibly wealthy tends to make women very needy in bed."

"Your wealth means nothing," Lily stated, frowning.

"My wealth means everything. Didn't you realize that money runs this world? Look around you, sweetheart. You get nothing without money."

"Because helping people with the goodness of your heart is just highly unsatisfying and not helpful at all."

James shrugged. "I do what I can. I work for what I have-"

Lily snorted. "Correction. You work for what was handed down to you through your grandfathers before you hard-work. Your only a pretty face who really has no idea what is going on in this world. You're so selfish and ungrateful for what has been given to you."

"For someone who claimed to know me so well during your interview, you sure are proving that you know absolutely nothing about me. You make it seem like you are all high and mighty but really, through this conversation, you have proved to be a judgmental brat who knows how to do surface research but really puts herself on a pedestal because if she doesn't know something about a person, it clearly means that the tabloids are correct. If I could, I would fire you in a heartbeat. However, as it is, I promised Sirius and Remus I would give you a minimum of one year. I don't need a personal assistant that I get along with I just need someone who will do their job so that _I _don't need to do your job for you. You have a good day, Ms. Evans. I trust you can walk back to your own apartment by yourself," James stated, biting back his anger as he left, paying at the counter for the meal.

Lily grinned at his back as he left thinking that this would be the most interesting job she's ever had. She quickly finished her meal and walked back to her apartment. Everything she owned was already packed into boxes minus a few loose items. She packed the remaining items and then called up Sirius and Remus to inform them that she was ready to go. She sat on the couch reading a newspaper until they arrived. Within fifteen minutes, everything she had was packed into her car and she followed them to the girls' apartment.

"So, Lily, how did breakfast go?" Remus asked as they sat down in the girls' apartment after everything had been moved into Lily's bedroom.

"Phenomenal, if he has a habit of walking out on people," she stated, smiling.

"He walked out?" Ally exclaimed, incredulously.

Lily nodded. "We got into an argument. How is he CEO?"

"Because he's good at what he does," Sirius shrugged.

"He's cruel at what he does. He is a renowned bachelor who buys out competition and then throws their company to pieces, leaving many people without work. He isn't nice to anyone that I've seen. He clearly thinks he's better than everyone else. He's a spoiled brat who has a ton of power and isn't using it to help people."

"So, why did you want to work for our company?" Sirius asked curiously, sounding bored.

Lily shrugged. "Because I love what I do. I don't want to believe the tabloids that claim he is heartless. However, I guess some tabloids are accurate. Why do you guys work with him?"

"Because he's family," Ally stated, shrugging as if it were the most obvious thing. "Anyways, I think in honor of Lily moving in, we, as in myself, Lily and Sahara, should have a girls day out, so goodbye Sirius and Remus!" she exclaimed pointing to the door and staring at her brother and his friend.

"I see what this is. We're only your brawns. Use us and leave us, psht," Sirius exclaimed, feigning hurt while he and Remus walked out rolling their eyes at the girls.

"Time to show you some sights," Sahara grinned, picking up her purse from the counter.

"Oh, and just so you know, James isn't as bad as he seems. You don't know him like we do," Ally stated as an afterthought.

Lily rolled her eyes. "I don't intend on getting to know him any further."


	5. Chapter 5: New Discoveries

**Every Beast Has Their Beauty**

_Disclaimer: _I am not J.K. Rowling. I do not own any of her work.

_Author's Note:_ Thank you for your review, huflepuff girl14!

_Chapter 5: New Discoveries_

_Sunday August 12_

James was sleeping in this morning, later than he has ever slept in. It was one of those rare days that his phone didn't wake him up. It might have been the fact that he put it on silent. However, his late morning came to an abrupt end when two figures came running into his bedroom.

"UNCLE JAMIE!" the voices cried, reaching up to hit his sleeping mound underneath the blankets. He jumped with a start, grinning widely.

"JOSH! BRODY!" he exclaimed, jumping to the floor and pulling the 2 three-year old boys into his arms. They both had dark hair that went to their shoulders. Their only difference were there eyes. Josh had bright blue eyes like his father and Brody had dark eyes like his mother.

"Knock, knock," a soft voice called. "Hope you're decent," the woman stated, walking in slowly. "Ah, good. You are."

James grinned and put the boys down who ran out of the room when Sirius called them from down the hall. James gathered the woman in a tight hug.

"Lizzie, it's been too long," he smiled, holding her at an arm's length. "Is everything okay?"

"It could be better. Ray went out with Dumbledore this weekend to follow up on a different lead while I stayed home with the boys. It's kind of hard to stop in when you seem to have a girl here all the time," she grinned. "The whole…appearing thing…would probably freak some people out."

He laughed. "Let me throw a shirt on and I'll meet you in the living room so we can catch up," he stated. She nodded and left the room while he searched for a t-shirt.

A few minutes later, he found them in Sirius' room. Sirius was showing them a solar system he had magically animated so it appeared that they were in space. The boys were utterly amazed and trying to catch the planets. However, whenever they almost caught the planet, it disappeared to another portion of the room.

"They miss you guys," Lizzie stated. She was nearly as tall as James, except that he had a few inches on her. Her long black hair almost touched her bum and her dark eyes were covered by thin glasses.

"Well someone needs to bring them around more. It's not like I can go visit anytime I want…although, someday, I hope," he muttered hopelessly. She smiled sadly.

"I hear you've been miserable," she stated as they walked out of Sirius' room, leaving the boys to their fun.

"What do you expect? I have less than 365 days before I lose magic for good…I don't know what I'm going to do without it. I'm thankful for this back story that Dumbledore was able to create here and all as _muggles_, but it isn't who I am. I can't live like this. How can I possibly find the 'love of my life' if they don't actually know me? 'oh hey, do you love me? By the way, I'm a wizard,'" he muttered, angrily. She laughed in response.

"Oh James, do you really think you're going to find the 'love of your life' with that attitude? You don't have to lie to them about everything, you know. And if they really loved you, the whole 'hey I'm a wizard' thing won't matter. No matter, we WILL find a way to bring you back. Do you think I enjoy coming all the way out here just to visit family? It's not exactly an easy commute, you know."

"I know…thank you," he stated, rubbing a hand through his hair while pouring a glass of orange juice. "Would you like anything?"

"Oh, no thanks. We ate breakfast at a decent hour unlike you," she joked, plopping down on a stool.

"Lizzie," a voice declared, coming into the kitchen where they were located. "Pleasant surprise," Remus stated as he hugged her.

"Sirius all but begged me to come…and then James wrote me a letter yesterday so I figured I'd stop by as long as no unwanted guests were around. James here seems to have given up," she shrugged.

"I can see why. No one could possibly love him. He is so selfish for giving all of his money away and he is so unintelligent that he wouldn't be able to excel at anything in muggle business," Remus agreed, rolling his eyes.

"Whatever. Easy for you guys…_you _haven't lost your magic!" James exclaimed, clearly frustrated.

"Aw, c'mon James. It hurts that you put so little faith in Ray and I…even Dumbledore is helping us a lot lately. You know, I think the cute little pesky 11-year old James was more fun. _He _at least had faith in me…of course, the faith was that I would get you out of trouble, but it's the same thing, right? No one messes with my little brothers," she laughed.

"Do you have any leads at least?" James asked desperately.

The tall girl sighed heavily. "Well, rumor has it, there is this fairy named Mara Deirdre and she IS able to break the curse-"

"REALLY? That's great! Where is she? Did you find her yet?" James asked, slamming his hands on the table.

She sighed again, before continuing. "She has been rather difficult to find as she keeps bouncing around places. She isn't exactly the _friendliest _fairy that we've come across. We caught her once but that sly little toad snuck out of the grasp of our hands. You see…she's rather sly and loves disastrous things so she doesn't really want to help us."

"Ugh, so no luck?" James asked, putting his head down.

"We'll get her. I promise. We're trying to find some blackmail on her to get her to help us if we can't _coerce _her with other methods. Don't worry, okay?" Lizzie asked, smiling slightly. "Anyways, I've promised the boys I'd take them over to Auntie Ally and Sahara's place to visit them. Would you guys like to join us?"

"You probably shouldn't go over there via your appearing act, if you know what I mean," Remus grinned. "They just got a third, muggle, roommate who is also James' new personal assistant. He has agreed to keep her for at least a year until this situation is blown over so that we aren't wasting our time hiring personnel."

"A new lady? And a whole year?" Lizzie laughed. "I don't believe it unless I see it. What are we waiting for?"

"Mommy! Mommy!" a voice screeched as Sirius came flying out of the room holding him as if he were flying. He was laughing hysterically while his brother came running out of the room with a small ball, about to put it in his mouth.

"Joshua Daniel, you let that snitch go right this second!" Lizzie called out, standing up quickly. Josh looked down sadly and regretfully released the snitch which flew back into Sirius' room.

"Good boy," she stated while Josh ran over to Remus, trying to jump on his back. The two boys had gone from crawling to running it seemed, keeping everyone on their toes. "Oh, I was hoping I could borrow the crew next weekend to help us do some searching. We figured a new set of eyes wouldn't hurt temporarily. Is that possible?"

"By crew, you mean?" James asked, still disappointed.

"Sirius, Remus, Ally, and Sahara. Unfortunately, you must stay. But Ray does want you all over for dinner next Sunday."

James sighed. "I guess. As long as it will help. What are you going to be doing?"

"Following up on a lead," Lizzie shrugged. "Mara Deirdre isn't stupid. She's expecting Ray and I but she won't expect a large group."

"Fine, I guess."

"So, off to Ally's and Sahara's place? Oh, and Lily's," Remus inquired, throwing Josh into the air and catching him while his laughter filled the air.

"Yes please. James, you should probably go get dressed unless you want to look like you've just gotten out of bed," Lizzie suggested.

James shook his head. "I have other things to-"

"-do later, but he's completely able to go now," Sirius cut in. "Oh, stop being so immature, James. Hey, maybe _Lily _will be your 'true love'," he joked. James grunted in return.

"I have other business to attend to than seeing a bratty-" James began but was cut off.

"I thought you tried to not work on Sundays, James? Just suck it up, put on your big boy pants, and let's go," Remus stated sternly. He hated being hard on James, but James had been so depressed and agitated lately that Remus decided to not give him any more pity. Remus wasn't thoroughly convinced that they would find a cure for James and if they didn't, James had to be okay with being a muggle. Unfortunately, James wasn't even close to accepting that fact.

James grunted again but stalked off to his bedroom. The group waited patiently for him to get ready and then took two cars over to the girls' apartment. Josh and Brody ran down the hallway to the girls' doorway and started knocking on it as loudly as possible. A muffled sound could be heard on the other side and then the door swung open to reveal a barely awake Ally. She was rubbing her eyes as she opened the door but grinned widely when she saw the two boys.

"Joshie! Brody!" she exclaimed, pulling them both into her arms in a tight squeeze.

"Do you still have our toys? Mr. Carson…is Mr. Carson here still?" Brody asked excitedly, referring to their toy cars that they had left here during the last visit. Mr. Carson was his favorite but he let Ally keep it here to keep her company.

"Of course, let me go get them for you," Ally smiled, taking each of their hands. "Hey Lizzie! Good to see you!" she called over her shoulder as the boys dragged her away. Sahara came out of her bedroom looking prepared for the day. She waved happily to the boys and Lizzie and joined the boys with Ally.

"Where's our feisty redhead?" Sirius grinned as they took seats in their living room.

"She's taking a shower," Ally called out. "Oh, I'll go let her know not to come out undressed." Ally then ran to Lily's bathroom to inform her of their guests.

"Would you guys like anything to drink? To eat?" Sahara asked.

"Do you have any snacks?" Josh asked, not looking to her.

"Of course, is that alright Lizzie?"

"Only a small snack. They ate not too long ago. They seem to think they can eat like their Uncle Siri."

"They're growing boys!" Sirius exclaimed. He was sitting on the floor with the boys and Remus, playing with the cars.

Sahara laughed and went upstairs to get them a snack and some waters. She returned shortly and sat next to Lizzie, giving her a quick hug.

"Any news?" she whispered softly just in case Lily came out.

"I will be borrowing you all next weekend so you can help me out with a lead. There's a possibility, but the individual has been rather tricky to capture."

"Sweet, where are we going?"

"Fairy Land," Lizzie shrugged.

"Fairy land? There's a fairy land?" Sahara asked incredulously. "I mean, I knew fairies existed…but I thought they lived with the trolls?"

"Some do. But those are the ones that have been kicked out of fairy land. They get kicked out of fairy land because they helped mankind against the wishes of the fairy code. The one we need just so happens to be very into never helping humans, only causing trickery."

"Hey guys!" Ally called out loudly from the stairs as she and Lily came down. She wanted to give somewhat of a heads up for any magic talk to be deceased. "Lizzie, this is Lily, our new roommate and James' personal assistant. Lily, this is Lizzie, Sirius' sister, our old roommate. These are Josh and Brody, her twins."

"Hi Lily!" Josh and Brody called out, not looking up.

"Hey, Lily," Lizzie greeted, smiling. "Nice to meet you."

"Same. I've heard a couple stories about you. Did you really beat Sirius and James in a two on one soccer match?"

"Of course it's true!" Ally answered quickly, making a face at Lizzie who hesitated.

"I did. They think that they're better than me so I had to put them in their place."

"She also beat them at Quidditch," Brody added as an afterthought, not really listening to the conversation. Sirius coughed loudly and started laughing.

"It's just a silly game," James covered up quickly. "So, Lily, did you go running this morning?"

"Not this morning, no. So what is Quidditch? I don't think I've heard about it before."

"Oh, it's nothing. You know kids. It's a new popular game that kids play," Lizzie grinned. "So how is working for my favorite person, James?"

Lily snorted. "You need to meet more people if he's your favorite," Lily blushed after saying it. Sometimes her mouth worked too fast for her brain to contain. "Sorry. It's alright."

James grinned. "We're not here to talk about work. Did you guys have anything planned for today?"

"Not particularly, no."

"Are you a witch too?" Brody asked suddenly, looking up at Lily. Lily blushed while Sirius coughed again.

"He means for Halloween! We absolutely love Halloween in our house and I decided I was going to be a witch this year for it," Lizzie covered up.

"Hey guys! Let's go to Auntie Ally's room! I have more toys in there!" Ally called out, trying to distract the boys from the room.

"But we want to play with the cars," Josh explained, not moving.

"It's the beginning of August and you've already decided you'll be a witch?" Lily asked in disbelief.

"Yep, _love _it."

"What are you going to be then, Josh and Brody?" Lily asked.

"Huh?"

"For Halloween. What are you going to be for Halloween?"

"Aurors like mommy and daddy!" Josh exclaimed, pumping a fist into the air.

"C'mon boys…let's bring the toys into my room so the adults can talk," Ally all but begged the two boys.

"What is an auror?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Everyone knows what an _auror _is," Josh replied. "They defeat bad witches and wizards, duh!"

"Josh, Brody…you know what, please go with Ally to go wash your hands since you're done with your snacks," Lizzie suggested. "No arguing," she added when they went to respond. Groaning, the boys followed Ally off into one of the bathrooms.

"You really like witchcraft, then," Lily stated. "Are you sure you aren't really a witch yourself?"

"What? Oh, that's ridiculous. Everyone knows magic isn't real," James replied. "They're just kids. Kids love magic."

"Right…quite an imagination," Lily nodded, not quite believing them.

"What, do you _actually _believe in magic, Ms. Evans?" James asked incredulously. "I thought only children believed in magic."

"I believe anything is possible, Mr. Potter, even _magic," _she shrugged. "There has been nothing that absolutely disproves the possibility of magic which leaves a slight chance that it is possible. However, much like the existence of the world, there will never be a '100% this is what happened' type scene. We can only make speculation and look at what we deem to be truth. Magic is certainly fascinating. I mean, humans are so obsessed with it so I hardly think it's impractical to believe in it."

James eyed her suspiciously.

"Well, that's quite an interesting observation there, Lily," Remus muttered.

"So, how did you guys meet?" Lily asked Lizzie.

"School," James answered as Lizzie responded with "Family connections." They both grinned sheepishly.

"Well, they technically met at school but our families have connected before school in which we were acquaintances," Sirius explained.

"I see. Where do you live now?" she asked Lizzie again.

"Oh, I live in…um…Holloway. It's a little ways away from here."

"And what do you and your husband do? I heard you used to live here prior to me, so is your work in London?"

"She works for me," James stated as Lizzie stated, "Freelance."

"She works for James currently, but she is freelance," Remus corrected, smiling at Lily. "She ensures all of his numbers are correct. And her husband does the same."

"Yes, he is away currently on a business trip with our other partner," Lizzie stated. "Enough about us. What about you? How's the new place working out?"

Lily shrugged. "It'd be better if it weren't a babysitting tactic from my boss," she smiled sweetly. James shrugged.

"I have to keep my enemies close, Ms. Evans. Surely, you understand. And I trust Sahara and Ally to keep a very close eye on you," he smiled.

"Ugh, we already told you we wouldn't watch her, James," Sahara groaned. "Don't worry, Lily. James is just being paranoid, like he always is." Sahara gave James a hard look of frustration.

"No matter, I have nothing to hide. If you want to watch what kind of toilet paper I use to wipe my hiney, I'll be glad to show you," Lily grinned at James.

"Well, it has been great to meet you Lily, but we were just stopping by. I hope all goes well here," Lizzie stated, standing up.

"It was nice to meet you as well, Lizzie. Please, stop by whenever. I'd love to hear more about your work with Mr. Potter," Lily stated, smiling, shaking Lizzie's hand.

"See you at work, Ms. Evans," James stated curtly, as he shook her hand. Remus and Sirius copied their actions and hugged Sahara goodbye. Ally came back into the room with two well-behaved children, grinning widely.

"Ah, leaving so soon?" she asked, a hint of relief in her voice. She had just had a talk with the boys telling them that they were going to play a little game of 'no mention of anything magic to Lily'. The game would continue until Christmas and if they could make it, she would get them an extra present. Ally was not against bribing children who were not her own.

"Yes, it's best if we head out. We were going to go meet Pro…Mr. Dumbledore for lunch," Lizzie stated, smiling. Lily narrowed her eyes at her.

"Mr. Dumbledore? He doesn't happen to be an elderly man with a long white beard, does he?" Lily asked curiously. 'Dumbledore' wasn't that common of a last name, the last she heard.

James, Sirius, and Remus turned to her quickly, faces flushed.

"He does," Sirius replied, suspiciously. "How do you know him?"

Lily shrugged. "I met him last Saturday when I was sitting on a bench looking for a job. He actually directed my attention to look in a different newspaper to see the opening for this position."

"Did he now? Well, then, that's…nice," Remus forced a smile. "Great guy, he is. He actually works for James as well."

"Small world," Lily muttered.

"And getting smaller, apparently," Lizzie forced a grin. "Boys, say goodbye to your Auntie's and Lily."

"Bye Auntie Sara, bye Auntie Ally," the boys grinned. They were unable to say 'Sahara' anymore. They gave their aunts hugs. "Bye Auntie Lily," they stated, giving Lily a hug as well. Lily grinned down at the boys, taken aback by the action.

The group quickly left before any other information got out. As soon as they were in the safety of the elevator, they started talking.

"What was Dumbledore doing talking to her?" James asked, voicing their thoughts. They shrugged, fully intending on finding out.


	6. Chapter 6: Separate Directions

**Every Beast Has Their Beauty**

_Disclaimer: _I am not J.K. Rowling. I do not own any of her work.

_Author's Note:_ I apologize for the delay in posting this chapter. To huflepuff girl 14, I have a thought in my head on how Lily finds out about magic beyond just her letter when she was 10 and it will be happening possibly before the New Year. Thank you Julie and Guest for your reviews :)

_Chapter 6: Separate Directions_

Wednesday, August 15

"-and our union will be beneficial to the exponential growth of your company," James stated clearly to the group of individuals sitting in front of him. He waited as the translator communicated his final statement to the business professionals. He was sitting at the head of the table with a fitted deep blue suit and tie, clean-shaven except for his mess of a hair that he refused to contain. Lily sat at his right side, ensuring to take accurate notes of the meeting. The meeting had begun this morning at 8:00 A.M. sharp and it was now 1:00 P.M.

Apparently, merging with Renujie Weiku would be a huge step to take in the business world. At this point, no company in England was directly linked with China and James fully intended on becoming the first. He had been meeting with the president of the company since he started, ensuring to develop a solid relationship prior to trying to merge. Although the president could speak English, the associates he brought did not.

"Wŏmen huì sīxià tăolùn yŭ bĕn gōngsī jí 6 gè yuè nèi huífù nín de xúnwèn," the president, Bo Liang, stated. He was an older man, perhaps in his sixties, who had appeared older due to the work he was in. With him were two other men who had been wearing either the same or very similar attire. One was much younger, perhaps his son, whereas the other appeared his same age.

"We will discuss privately with our company and respond to your inquiry within 6 months," the translator informed James. James nodded.

"Thank you for your time, please have your assistant contact me with a time that is appropriate and I will see you then," James stated, standing from his position. He held out his hand to the president who had also stood. The translator translated while James shook hands with each of the other men. Lily remained seated, typing up the rest of the minutes. She was informed prior to the meeting to not attempt to shake hands with them as they did not like that. She kept her head down, smiling, as she finished typing.

The men walked out of the room as an escort waiting outside of the room took them to their next destination.

James sat back down next to Lily.

"Let me review the notes, please," he asked just before she closed her laptop. She shrugged and then opened up the document for him to review.

He made a couple of edits as he read through her notes and handed it back ten minutes later.

"Very well," he stated. "I'm starved. Would you like to grab some lunch?"

"I would love to," she admitted, embarrassed by her rumbling stomach that she was sure he had heard. He nodded, accepting her acceptance, and led the way to the company's cafeteria. Most of the employees had already left as they were entering. They went separately to grab food and then met up at a table.

"Healthy choices, I see," James noted, holding back a smirk at her French Fries, cheeseburger and soda.

"I go running, I don't need to eat healthy too," Lily muttered back looking at his healthy green chicken salad and water.

"Actually, you do," James stated, this time grinning. "Sure, running may help you get your lovely body in shape, but it's not always the exterior that matters the most."

Lily frowned. "Okay, _dad._"

"If I were your dad, I would have never let you have that greasy junk," he stated simply.

Lily's face reddened with anger. "And if I were your mother I would have let you live a little instead of being so uptight. I mean c'mon, who doesn't love French Fries and burgers?"

"I'm not saying I don't like it, I'm just saying that I prefer healthy food so you know…I'm _actually _healthy instead of just _appearing _to be healthy," he explained.

"Well, I'm free-spirited. I eat what I want. I do what I want," Lily stated firmly. He laughed in response.

"Oh, I know," he stated.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she asked, swallowing a bite of her burger.

"It's supposed to mean that I agree that you do what you want…" James stated, lifting an eyebrow at her. Before Lily could respond, James answered his phone that just began to rang. Lily finished eating in silence while James remained on his phone call throughout the meal. When they were finished, they went in silence to his office.

"So, you have a meeting with the Finance Department at 3:30 and then your day is over. I do not need to attend that meeting, according to your notes so I shall finish reviewing your schedule for the next year to ensure we are caught up in our appearances. I will also call the people you have meetings with next week to confirm appointments. Tomorrow, you have a meeting with the Human Resources Department at 10 and then a meeting at 2 with the Security Office. On Friday, you will be going to a couple of high schools to discuss the benefits and the consequences of technology in society," Lily informed him, reading off of her tablet of his schedule. He nodded, understanding.

"Alright. And the weekend you kept free, correct?" he asked, typing something into his computer.

"As you requested, yes."

"Very well. I need you to arrange travel for a holiday event we must attend in December and January. We must fly to an airport in New York City on December 23rd and we will be returning to London on January 3rd. Please contact Mr. Robert Johnson from the Godwin Enterprises to see about our agenda. The flight will need to have 8 tickets, round-trip. Your attendance will be required as you will be the eighth individual. I understand you are from that area, so you will be allowed to spend the holidays with your family but the rest of it is business," James stated casually as Lily took notes.

"And first class is not a necessity. Despite popular consensus, namely you, I don't waste my money on unnecessary items. I would like you to casually find out what Christmas presents people want. I have just e-mailed you a list of those individuals. Once you determine what they want, please send me the e-mail and then I will send you out after approval. Please review the stocks that I have submitted and alter accordingly. I believe Mr. Black has reviewed this data with you and you are familiar, yes?"

"Yes, sir. I was in charge of stocks for the company I worked for in America," Lily responded.

"Good. That is all. I will see you tomorrow, Ms. Evans," James stated, dismissing her from his office. She nodded at him and left.

James waited until she left before he brought up his latest site that his friends had created. They created him a profile on a dating site to hopefully get him some different dates other than the women he was meeting at bars. He sighed, looking at a list of women that had responded to his advertisement. So far, there were 17 hits. Sighing heavily, he started to review the profiles in depth and then doing basic research on the internet to find out any information about them.

Lily entered ten minutes before 3:30. "Sir, your meeting with the Finance Department is in ten minutes."

"Ah, thank you. Roses or chocolates?"

"Excuse me?" Lily asked, caught off guard.

"Roses or chocolates? Which do women prefer?"

"Probably roses…chocolates will always get you in trouble with the whole 'fat' thing at some point. Personally, I think both are crap. Roses are just another useless thing to waste your time on and they die rather quickly and chocolates are quite depressing," Lily reasoned.

James looked up from his computer. "Alright. Roses it is. Which one do you think I should take on a date?" he asked, turning his computer to be seen by her.

Her jaw dropped as he showed her two pictures. When she composed herself, she continued. "Quite a lovely way to use company time. I see how this is relevant to technology. And the one on the right. The one on the left is quite fake, I'm certain…unless you're into that kind of thing."

"I prefer 100% real women. And how I use my time at any point is my business, Ms. Evans. You see, I'm the CEO and I can do what I want when I want-"

"Right, I forgot you were almighty," Lily said snidely before her brain could take control of the words coming out of her mouth.

"-and I still work far more than any individual in this company. I take work home with me every day, even on my days off. So don't be so quick to judge me," he continued calmly, closing his lap top and gathering his documents. "How is it coming with the travels?"

"Nearly done. I will be calling Mr. Johnson soon."

"Good," James stated and walked out of the office without word of anything else. Lily rolled her eyes and went back to her desk.

"What a child," she muttered to herself as she plopped down.

"Talking about our lovely roommate again?" a voice asked. She looked over and saw that Sirius had just exited his office. He hopped onto her desk, picking up her picture frame. "Is this your mum and dad?"

Lily nodded. "It is. And that's my sister and her…_husband_."

Sirius grinned widely. "Such distaste is poor coming from the lips of a beauty. Will we get to meet them over the holidays?"

"I'll be going with Mr. Potter to America during the holidays, so no."

"Ah, as will I, my dear. You did receive the list of individuals attending, correct?" Sirius asked as Lily checked her e-mail. She nodded, seeing his name on the list. "And if I remember correctly, you're from New York and I know that _Mr. Potter _has given you the two holidays off to spend with your family. Trust me, that took some convincing."

"I knew that couldn't have come from him," Lily stated satisfactorily. "And we'll see…about the whole meeting thing. They'd prefer to see me engaged with a handsome man and have a child soon on the way. I'm sure having any man over for the holidays would be rather embarrassing."

Sirius grinned wickedly. "That sounds like a perfect way for disaster then…not sure what the hesitation is."

Lily rolled her eyes. She felt that she had been rolling her eyes more than usual at this job.

"You know, if you keep rolling your eyes, they're going to get stuck like that," Sirius said, finally putting the picture back in place and hopping off the desk.

"A statement my mother constantly said," Lily replied.

"Smart woman. Anyways, I wanted to inform you that we will be taking your roommates away this weekend. We're headed to my sister's house for the weekend to visit with…family and friends," he stated.

"That sounds fun. You must have a pretty close family and friends for you all to be working for Mr. Potter," Lily stated as a fact.

Sirius shrugged. "Close friends, yes. Close family? Not so much. It's only Lizzie and I. She's all I have, really. The rest of our family is a…crazy bunch. I'd hate for you to ever meet them," he stated. "Well, you have a good evening, Lily."

"Hey Sirius?" Lily asked when he almost reached his office. He stopped and looked at her to continue. "Does working for Mr. Potter ever get easier?"

He simply grinned. "Absolutely not…and that's where the excitement comes in."

He nodded at her and went to his office. Lily sighed heavily, shaking her head.

Before Lily started packing up for the day, James came back from his meeting. He spotted her and called her into his office as he stepped past her.

"Did you remember to feed the fish?" he asked as he sat down at his desk. "I would hate for you to make them die because you dislike them."

"Of course I fed the fish," Lily stated quickly. "Though, that's not a bad idea. Is that why you called me in here? I could have just answered that at my desk, sir."

James shook his head. "Nope. I want your opinion. You said that you liked to dance during the interview. Do you know of any nice places in London that have dinner and dancing? I'm not a big dancer myself, but the woman I will be asking on a date does like dancing."

"Really now?" Lily asked, curiously. "And what kind of dancing does she like?"

"Salsa, ballroom," he shrugged, grinning widely as he remembered those were the types of dances she enjoyed. Lily blushed.

"Well, there's this great place called DeAngelo's Restaurant and Theatre in downtown London on Fifth Street. It's rather fancy and I've only been there twice, but they have dancing on Saturday nights. On Friday nights is an open-mic type setting. Great food," Lily replied.

"Well great, thanks. I will certainly have to check it out," he stated. They sat in silence for a few moments before she spoke up.

"Is that all?" she asked.

"Unless you had a question?"

"Huh? Oh…no, no question. So did you choose one of the women from the profile?"

"Yes, Darla. She's the one who didn't look fake," he smirked.

"Good choice," Lily stated as she stood from her position to leave.

"I'm hoping so," he whispered to himself. Overhearing, Lily smiled as she walked out.

Saturday, August 18

Lily laid in bed, not wanting to get up. It was still odd being in this apartment by herself as she still felt that she were just visiting. She hadn't seen Ally and Sahara yesterday as they had left directly after work with Remus and Sirius. The sun was just rising up, allowing light to shine through her blinds. Throwing her blanket off, she decided to go for a run since she was already awake.

Within five minutes, she was locking up the apartment and heading to her new spot to run. Her headphones were in her ears but she was focused on her surroundings as music was not playing. She learned when she was in America that it was important to always know about your surroundings and to not let yourself be distracted. She kept the headphones in to prevent anyone from trying to start a conversation with her while she was running. However, London was certainly not as busy as New York was, especially on a Saturday morning.

She ran by a lake, quickly glancing at the ducks that were swimming happily. She passed another runner or two on her path, giving them a friendly wave as they passed.

_So, I get to go back to New York City, _she thought to herself. _Oh, dear. Here comes the desperate plea from mother saying that I need to find a good man to marry and then have two perfect children so she can have grandbabies. And then she'll want us to move back to the states…yeah, right. Or, dad will start saying how the man needs to be really successful and he has to have a life plan set out until he is 80 years old as he needs to take care of his baby girl. No one is good enough for daddy. Or then there is perfect Petunia who just married Vernon, life-sucking leech. Oh yes, the holidays would be wonderful._

She shook her head slightly as she was running, pumping faster to rid her thoughts. Working for Mr. Potter was certainly keeping her on her toes. She never worked as much as she had now. When she worked for Mr. Bellingham, he hardly expected her to do too much but here, her job description changed tremendously. Not that she minded, though. She actually enjoyed working for Mr. Potter as much as she would never inform him of such. She enjoyed that he wasn't too serious and that she was able to pick on him back. She still thought he was a cocky snob, but it was rather refreshing. He knew who he was and he was proud of it.

Finding herself getting lost in thoughts that she didn't want to have, she slowed down her pace as she came upon a water fountain. She stopped, taking a long drink. She started to walk, checking her watch to see her timing. Her average was a 7:14 minutes per mile. Having just run for 44 minutes, she sat on a nearby bench after walking for a bit to slow down her heart rate again. She watched as a few people came about. There were a couple of older ladies that walked by, smiling a 'good morning' to Lily. Shortly after another runner passed by, lost in their own thoughts.

Standing up, Lily continued on her run back to her apartment. As she was turning a corner, she ran directly into another runner coming from the opposite direction.

"Oh!" she called out as she went to fall but a strong arm slipped around her waist, pulling her tightly against a strong body.

"Easy there," the voice who owned the strong arm stated, with a hint of humor.

"I am so sorry!" Lily exclaimed, pulling her headphones out of her ears. "I didn't see you."

"That's alright, I ran into you too, remember?" the man grinned. "Though, I don't mind."

Lily blushed.

"My name is Chris," he stated. "Chris Langley."

"Lily," Lily replied, smiling. She blushed when she realized he was still holding her. She coughed and looked down to his arm. He followed her glance and then jumped as if realizing the same thing.

"Well, Lily, I must apologize. Do you drink coffee? Can I buy you a cup for nearly knocking such a beautiful woman on her feet?"

"No, that's alright," Lily replied. "Thank you, though."

"I insist, please, I have to apologize for the inconvenience I have caused you or my mother would kill me. Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I think I'm alright…" she responded. She went to reject the drink again but then thought about the holidays coming up. Groaning inwardly, she responded, "and I guess coffee wouldn't hurt."

"Perfect. I know this fantastic coffee shop a few blocks over called Carl's, let's head over there," he stated. Lily smiled, agreeing. They were in public, after all. She gave him a quick glance over and noticed that he was a tall man who was rather lean. _He probably runs a lot,_ she thought to herself. His dark hair was cut very short and he had light grey eyes that shone with happiness.

They walked in relative silence with small talk as he guided her to the coffee shop. There were a few others that were in the coffee shop, much to Lily's pleasure. They ordered their coffees and grabbed a booth.

"So, Lily, how long have you been in London?" Chris asked, picking up on her accent.

"About a year," she responded.

"And what do you think so far? Do you plan on staying?" he asked casually.

"I do. I love London," she replied.

"So, Ms. Lily, what, or who, is it that brought you to London?"

"Oh, there is no 'who'," she replied quickly and then blushed. "I just wanted to move to London and as soon as I got a job, I came over."

"And what is it that you do?" he asked curiously.

"Personal Assistant for Mr. Potter at-" she started but he cut her off.

"Potters' and Son's Enterprise," he added, smiling. "That's quite an accomplishment you have undertaken, coming all the way from America to do such."

"I just started working for him a little over a week ago. I was previously working at a different location. And what is it that you do?" Lily asked, trying to take the focus off of her.

"Assistant CEO of Langley Hotels," he responded softly, appearing humbly. "It's a family business."

Lily smiled. "Yes, I've heard of it. Aren't you the largest Hotel company in England? Five-star hotel? How is that?"

Chris shrugged. "It's alright. Family business. You kind of get sucked into family businesses."

"You don't like it?" Lily asked.

He shrugged again. "It wasn't my first choice of career, but my parents needed me to take over soon due to some familial issues. It's not that bad. I do enjoy it."

"So you'd rather do something you don't necessarily want to do simply because your family wants you to do it?" Lily asked incredulously.

"My family is important to me. I do other things that I enjoy doing. For instance, I still run and work out. I still go dancing. I still go to derbies," he stated. "It's not that I hate doing it…I do enjoy what I do…it's just not my preference. It pays the bills though," he grinned.

"I guess I understand that," Lily replied, thinking about how she turned down magic because it was what her parents had wanted her to do. Seeing Chris doing the same thing helped her to understand his position. "But shouldn't you do what it is that you're…_meant…_to do?"

He grinned. "_Meant _to do? What, like fate or something?"

"Yes, _or something,"_ Lily stressed. "Your parents shouldn't dictate their wants and desires onto you…they've lived your life…you should be able to live yours," Lily shrugged.

"If it was something I absolutely hated, I would agree. As it is, I don't hate it. I'm learning to love it, actually. Can you tell me that you haven't made any decision solely based on your parents desires for your life?"

"No…can't say that. I don't know…it just seems kind of unfair, you know? If you didn't work for Langley Hotels, what would you do?" Lily asked.

He paused, sipping on his coffee while he contemplated his response. "I think I would have owned my own restaurant. My grandmother and great-grandmother taught me how to cook."

"Ah, a man who can cook. Not often found in America," Lily replied. "If it's what you want to do, you should do it."

Chris smiled. "Maybe one day. So I guess you have to get back to your boyfriend before someone notices you're missing."

"Oh, no boyfriend," Lily replied before she could stop herself. She inwardly scolded her response upon seeing his reaction.

"Lucky me, then. I see that you're done with your coffee and unfortunately, I have some business to attend to shortly. Do you like to dance?" he asked, grinning.

"I do, actually, but I'm not really interested in dating anyone right now," Lily stated quickly.

"Not dating, I would like to get to know you as friends. You are rather fascinating. What do you say to tonight? Dinner and dancing? There's this great place-"

"DeAngelo's?"

"Yes, that's the one. Brilliant food, don't you think? My brother is one of the chef's there," he stated.

"So he's not in the family business?"

"He's the younger brother so he got to do his own thing. So, what do you say? I'll pick you up at 6?"

"Um," Lily started. "As long as it's just friends, I would love to go."

"That's what I like to hear," he smiled. Lily wrote her address down on a napkin and gave it to him.

"I will see you at 6," he stated as he stood from his position and then pulled the chair out for her as she stood. She blushed in response, thanking him. They parted ways outside, each going their separate ways.


	7. Chapter 7: Trust is a Valuable Thing

**Every Beast Has Their Beauty**

_Disclaimer:_ I am not J.K. Rowling. I do not own any of her work.

_Author's note:_ This chapter wasn't my favorite, but I guess not every chapter can be my favorite. Thank you to: Pointless Heart, Julie, and Guest :) I will hopefully get a more exciting chapter up soon!

_Chapter 7: Trust is a Valuable Thing_

Saturday, August 18

James stared anxiously at the clock; he would be leaving shortly to pick up Darla for the evening. According to Darla's profile, she was a fit young woman with curly strawberry blond hair and bright blue eyes. She enjoyed dancing and going to the beach as well as traveling. She was afraid of heights and spiders but she enjoyed amusement parks. Her favorite color was orange and she loved to go out. She was once in a serious relationship that ended abruptly.

James reread her profile for the umpteenth time that day. She had seemed friendly enough. It was so difficult trying to find your true love when you had a deadline and a huge secret that was kind of a deal-breaker for some people. _Oh hey, my name's James Potter, a handsome and wealthy bachelor who is hiding a secret. Oh, not a typical 'I have a secret wife and family elsewhere' type secret. You know how magicians do magic that tricks the mind? Yeah, well, I do magic alright…but real magic that isn't a trick of the mind. Rather than pulling a rabbit out of a hat, I can actually transform myself into an animal…want to get married and have magical babies?_ He laughed to himself, shaking his head of thoughts.

There are billions of people in this world and he needed to find his true love before he turned 25. It wasn't exactly an easy task, he was finding. A part of him simply didn't care anymore. He was starting to accept this miserable life with the muggles. However, he wouldn't allow his friends to stay with him, giving up their magic as well. Magic was as much a part of them as it was of him. He had already worked out the details with Dumbledore. If, by the time he turned 25 and his curse was not broken, he was going to change his identity and move elsewhere in the world. Dumbledore would put on a protection spell to ensure his friends couldn't find him. Dumbledore disagreed at first, but he came around when James begged him to do this one last thing for him. It was hard enough for him to suffer not using magic. It was a completely different pain to watch as his friends had to give up magic for his benefit.

He ruffled his hair, taking a long sip of his water. He had really wanted a different drink, but he would save that for dinner. He was sitting on his couch, watching out of the window. He had just received a letter back from Dumbledore.

_James,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. As Lizzie has stated, we have found a fairy that would be able to reverse the curse. However, it has been rather difficult to capture her in one place. Your friends have joined her this weekend on a special mission in Russia to follow up on a lead. We needed the numbers, which is why we took your friends away for the weekend. Unfortunately, I had to stay behind to work on the upcoming school year. I know your time is drawing near, but I ask you to reconsider what we have previously discussed in regards to if you are unable to return to magic by the time you are aged another year. I believe we are close now._

_As for Ms. Evans, I did see her on my normal walk in the London muggle streets. I have this nagging feeling that there is something unique, something magical even, about her and I would like you to keep an eye on her. I am doing some research and will inform you of any findings. Unfortunately, I am currently tied up and may not be able to review that situation in a while. I wish you luck on your date this evening. Have faith in who you are, Mr. Potter, and the solution will come._

_-Albus Dumbledore_

James threw the letter down on the table. He didn't even want to think about the possibility of not being able to return back to magic. It was too heartbreaking. In fact, it was all he seemed to think about anymore, leaving him with a never-ending headache. He centered his thoughts on his new personal assistant. She was rather interesting, he found. Frustrating, sure, but interesting. He loved the fact that she didn't treat him differently because of his wealth and good looks, but it also irritated him that she was so frank in her speech. He was her boss, after all. However, he had to focus on the dating scene this year and couldn't be worried about another personal assistant, as his friends so kindly reminded him. It intrigued him that Dumbledore saw something fascinating in her…perhaps even something magical.

_She can't be a witch, can she?_ James thought to himself. _No, if she were a witch, she would have recognized the name of Quidditch and mentioned something. Rather, she seemed confused._ _Maybe Dumbledore has gone off the deep end on this one. No matter, I still think she's hiding something._

He shook his head and got up to go get ready for his date. An hour later, he was showered, dressed, and smelling rather intoxicating, he'd like to think. Mouthwash freshened his breath and his suit was nicely tailored. He put on an expensive watch and headed out the door, taking a slip of paper with an address and directions with him. She had given him a public location to pick her up just in case he was a murderer. Within 15 minutes, he had arrived at the location. He spotted the woman waiting outside of a door, looking anxious. She was truly stunning in a simple navy blue sleeveless cocktail dress and small pumps. Her hair fell around her shoulders and a shawl spread across her tan shoulders. Her eyes met his as he exited his vehicle and approached her.

"Darla?" he asked curiously. She smiled widely, reaching out a hand to shake his.

"James, I assume?" she asked as he took her hand.

"You assume correct, unless you were expecting anyone else," he smiled. She shook her head. "Good. You look lovely, by the way."

"Thank you," she grinned.

"After you," he said as he opened the passenger car door. She smiled as she entered the car, thanking him. He shut her door and then moved to the driver's side to get in. They drove to the restaurants in small talk mixed with silence. Luckily, the restaurant was only a ten minute drive from where they currently were.

"I have a reservation under James Potter," James stated to the attendant. The attendant looked down on his list and nodded.

"Yes, I see," he stated. "Please follow me."

They followed him to a small table in the back. The restaurant was filled with couples. It seemed to be geared towards couples as it held a romantic atmosphere. Music was playing in the background and the tables were set up around a large space that had a few couples dancing to the music that was playing. A stage was along one of the walls, curtains closed. The main lights had been dimmed throughout the restaurant. James pulled out the chair for Darla to sit in and then took his own seat.

"Would you like to start out with an appetizer?" he inquired.

"Sure," she smiled.

"How does the Calamari Fritti sound?" he asked, looking at his menu.

"I think it sounds wonderful," she replied, looking at the list of appetizers. "You can't go wrong with Calamari," she added. He nodded in agreement. Within seconds, a waiter walked to their table.

"Hello, my name is Edward and I will be your waiter tonight. Chef Michael DeAngelo will be responsible for your meals and our special is the Vitello al Barolo," the man stated as he pointed to a special on a separate menu that had a picture and description of the meal. The man was rather tall, wearing a nice tuxedo and clean shaven. "May I start you out with a drink?"

"White or red wine?" James asked Darla.

"White, please," she responded.

He nodded and then turned to the waiter. "Edward, could you please bring us the Pinot Grigio, Mezzacorona Riserva?"

"A fine choice. I will bring that right out. Can I interest you in an antipasti dish?" he asked.

"Yes. We would like the Calamari Fritti, please."

"I will put the order in immediately," he stated and walked away.

The couple reviewed their menus, deciding upon a meal that they would like. When they each decided, they placed their menus down. Edward had returned with a wine bottle and two wine glasses. He poured the wine in each of their glasses before leaving.

James lifted his glass and indicated for Darla to do the same. "To our first date," he toasted. They clinked glasses and sipped.

"So, Darla, what has caused you to resort to online dating?"

"Well um, I was having no luck dating via other venues and I heard great things about finding one's partner via online methods. I figured it wouldn't hurt to try out," she smiled awkwardly. "And you?"

"I guess you could say the same. Work tends to get in the way of meeting incredible women," he smiled. "So, I got a chance to read your profile but I saw that you left the 'future goals' portion empty. Why so?"

Darla shrugged. "The future changes so frequently, what's the point in focusing on that? I like to take things day to day instead of in the grand scheme of things."

"I see. So you don't have any future goals?" he asked curiously. "For instance, do you want to get married someday? Do you want to have children? Do you want to travel? Do you have a career in mind?"

She shrugged again. "Nope."

"Interesting," James stated, contemplating. "So what is that 'nope' to?"

"I don't really think about marriage and children right now. I don't know what I want in that regards. I don't really care to travel. If I travel, fantastic. But if I don't, I won't be disappointed. And currently, I'm content with my career."

They paused their conversation as Edward returned with their appetizer.

"Are you ready to put in your order?" he asked, taking out his notepad. James looked to Darla to continue.

"I would like the Capellini al Granchio," Darla responded, smiling. She handed her menu to the waiter.

"I would like the Linguine ai Frutti di Mare," James added, giving his menu to Edward as well. "With white sauce, please."

"Right away. I will put the orders in. Your antipasti is nearly ready," Edward stated and stalked off.

"Where were we? Ah, yes. So, you don't have any dreams?" James asked.

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"Actually, yes. I don't think I've ever met anyone with no dreams. Why no dreams?" he asked curiously.

"Dreams only lead to disappointments. If I have no dreams, I can't get disappointed when they don't occur."

"But you have nothing to look forward to…nothing to achieve if you have no goals," James replied, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Live for the moment."

"I guess that's one way of looking at it," James shrugged. They waited a brief moment while Edward brought their antipasti dish out.

"So, you believe in living for the moment and you don't really have dreams. What do you think about fate and destiny? Are they possible?"

Darla snorted softly. "Believing in fate and destiny is a weak man's response to avoiding responsibility. I don't believe we have a set path to take and that our lives are all pre-planned. If I believed in fate and destiny, I would no longer feel responsible for any decision I make because what does it matter?"

"I never thought about it in that manner, I must admit," James responded. He thought about how he could casually bring magic into this conversation. "Even if there were such a thing as fate and destiny, you still have your choices. It's just your choices have already been discovered which lead to the fate and destiny, I think."

"What about you? What are your dreams, James? What are your ambitions?" Darla asked, smiling.

Thinking for a moment, James responded to her inquiry. "Well, I do want to get married one day to the love of my life, and I want to have children. I'm not sure how many, just yet. I want to live near all of my friends who have become my family and I want to be able to successfully provide for my family."

"I don't think you'll have a problem providing for your family. The love of your life, eh? You're the type of guy that believes that you have a soul mate, am I right?" Darla asked, amused.

James rose an eyebrow at her. "I do believe that, yes. Let me guess, you don't?"

"Absolutely not. I think you can make things work with anyone if both partners are in for making it work. Life would be perfect that way, wouldn't it, if we all had soul mates? Unfortunately, life isn't perfect."

Seeing his opening, James took it. "I'm going to counter that and suggest that you don't believe in anything…_unexplained_?"

"As in what? Karma? Magic?"

"Yes, karma…_magic_," he suggested.

"Karma and magic go against all things natural and scientific. For karma, just because you make a decision, doesn't mean that life is going to get you back for what you decided. For magic, I don't see how anyone could believe in real magic…obviously there are magicians who simply play tricks on the mind. But real abra-kadabra type magic is impossible to exist. I think people become obsessed with it because they are dissatisfied with the way their life is working out. It's a great dream to have, but magic just does not mix with this world."

"Interesting perspective. What about fortune tellers?"

"Rubbish. They tell you generic statements that can work for anyone. They look into their crystal balls or their tarot cards and you know what they see? Smoke and nothingness…perhaps they see the money they will gain for ripping people off," she muttered. "Same for fortune cookies, really."

"Remind me to never joke about your zodiac sign," James stated, grinning. "Would you excuse me for a moment?" She nodded and he stood, walking towards the bathrooms.

Looking in the mirror in the bathroom, James shook his head and rubbed his neck with his hand. After pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, he rinsed his face with cool water.

_Fabulous date you picked there, James,_ James thought to himself. _A bloody woman who does not believe in anything magical. Who doesn't believe even the slightest in the possibility of magic? What is she, mad?_

Shaking his head of his thoughts, he rushed out of the bathroom so he didn't keep her waiting. Just as he exited, he walked into a woman that was walking past him towards the ladies' room.

"Hmph!" the woman exclaimed, taking a startled step backwards to prevent herself from falling.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, miss…_Lily_?" James asked incredulously, looking down at his redheaded personal assistant.

"Ja…Mr. Potter?" Lily asked, confused, before realization hit her. She had forgotten that she recommended this place to her boss. _What am I today? Wearing a bright neon sign saying that I need to be walked into? _Lily thought to herself, slightly flustered.

"Couldn't stay away from me, could you?" James asked, grinning widely. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Hardly. I'm here on a…eating with a friend," Lily explained, mentally hitting herself. She didn't need to explain herself.

"A friend? It must be some friend that brought you to this fancy restaurant getting you to dress beautifully," James replied, still grinning.

"Er, thanks. And yes, some friend," Lily replied. "How is your date going so far?"

James shrugged. "I've had better. She and I don't necessarily have the best qualities in common."

"Well, I can't _imagine _you having any good qualities, Mr. Potter," Lily mumbled.

"Hey James," a voice stated coming up to them.

"Speaking of my date, this is Darla…Darla, this is Ms. Evans, my personal assistant," James introduced.

Darla smiled politely at Lily, who returned the favor. "Nice to meet you Ms. Evans."

"I will meet you back at the table, okay?" James asked Darla. Darla nodded in response. "And I will see you on the dance floor, I'm sure, Ms. Evans," he stated, smiling at Lily. "I expect you haven't lied about your ability to dance. I will be ensuring that."

Lily blushed, mumbled a response, and walked with Darla to the restroom.

"He's pretty handsome, isn't he?" Darla asked casually as she checked herself out in the mirror. Lily nodded non-committedly as she stepped into one of the empty stalls. When she went back to the sink, Darla was still there.

"And pretty wealthy. How do you stand merely working for him? There's got to be more than just working for him."

Lily rose an eyebrow at her through the mirror while she washed her hands. "He's just a man…"

"An incredibly handsome and wealthy man," Darla muttered. "Tom would have never taken me out to this place," she mumbled to herself.

Turning off the water, Lily turned to dry her hands before responding. "Tom?" Lily asked. She didn't want to ask because she didn't want to be involved in her boss' life, especially not his romantic life.

Darla blushed. "Oh, sorry. Just a slip. An old boyfriend."

"An old boyfriend who gave you a ring?" Lily asked, staring at a slight indent on her ring finger that indicated the absence of a recent ring.

"Nosey one, you are," Darla stated, rubbing her finger. "That noticeable? Well, just between us girls, right? Tom is my…husband. But we're separated right now. You won't tell James, right?"

Lily frowned, catching the drift. "How long have you been 'separated'?" Lily asked, putting quotations around the last word.

"Well…um…it's pretty recent. But, we have barely been talking for a while. Please don't tell James, I think we have a real connection," Darla begged, grabbing Lily's arms and shaking them slightly.

Lily shook her head. "Unbelievable. You should probably tell Mr. Potter that you're still _married_. It's pretty vital information, you know."

"No, it's no big deal. Tom is probably doing the same thing," Darla reasoned, still gripping Lily's arms.

"I'm not going to hide it from Mr. Potter…why don't you just work things out with your _husband?_"

"That's none of your business!" Darla exclaimed angrily, but then calmed down. "Are you jealous that I'm with him? That's it, isn't it? Because he's wealthy and handsome and he's with _me!_"

Lily's jaw dropped. She yanked her arms from Darla, glaring at her. "You're insane. That's the second time you've mentioned this whole 'wealthy' thing. What, are you seeing him solely because he's handsome and wealthy? Tell me, what do you know about him?"

"That's why I'm on this date," Darla stated, exasperated, as if she were talking to a child. "I know that he owns a rather large company and that he owns his own plane. He even helps out at an homeless shelter thing for children."

"That would be an orphanage," Lily replied, irritated. "Whatever. I have a date to get back to. Goodbye Darla."

Lily stalked out of the bathroom, irritated. She had light red marks on her arms where Darla had gripped, but ultimately, her anger just won out. She walked quickly to her table where a handsome man awaited her presence.

Chris smiled widely at her as she sat back down, but then frowned at her irritated expression.

"Everything alright?" he asked, worriedly.

"Just peachy," Lily responded, briefly looking around the dim lit room.

He frowned at her but didn't push her any farther. "They delivered the food while you were out. I wasn't sure if you had wanted any specific sauces, so they are on their way back with the different sauces."

"Thank you," Lily grumbled but then felt guilty. She shook her head of thoughts and focused on her non-date.

"Tell me, what is your favorite part of your job?"

Lily thought for a moment, trying to think of how to articulate what she wanted to say. "I like to be organized. I like to organize other people's lives."

"Organization has never been my forte," Chris contemplated. Their waiter dropped off the sauces for Lily and they began to eat their food. "However, I get everything I need to accomplish done."

Lily shrugged. "Yes, well, you're probably not getting as much done as you could be getting done."

"Let me guess, you live off of to-do lists? If it isn't on your to-do list, it's clearly not important enough to be getting accomplished," he grinned.

"Actually, yes," Lily blushed. "But, don't knock down on my to-do lists. They have accomplished many tasks for me!"

"Aren't you simply wasting time creating the lists? I mean, you could get started and then bam, it's done. So, while I am finishing tasks, you are finishing lists," he laughed.

"Don't be ridiculous. While I'm finishing my lists, you're still confused as to where to start which means I'll be finishing my list _first_."

"I will hold you to that. So, may I ask about your family? That's still on friendly terms, correct?" he asked. She shrugged in response so he continued. "What do you miss most about your family? I mean, you came all the way to England, leaving all of your family behind."

Lily swallowed her bite of food before responding. "I get along with my parents fairly well and my sister. I still consider her to be my closest friend. I guess I miss summers with my family the most. We would have cookouts all of the time. We would sit around a fire until past midnight laughing, roasting marshmallows, and telling stories. We used to go camping during the summer, but that kind of died off when Petunia, my sister, and I got older. There was this one summer," Lily started but had to stop because her laughter took over. When she contained herself, she continued. "This one summer, Petty got _sprayed _by _two _skunks! She had tried to chase them away from the tents, but it scared them and they sprayed as they ran away. She smelt horrible _forever!_ She refused to go to anymore cookouts until the smell completely dissipated."

Chris' grey eyes shone with laughter. "She must have hated you for laughing."

"Sisters," Lily explained. "And then there was this one time that we went skiing. I used to go with my dad and she hated going. We finally convinced her and my mother to come as well. My dad and I came off the lift first and waited for them. When they came off, it was," Lily started, but laughter overcame her again. "Sorry. When they came off, my mom slid right into a tree and my sister fell flat on her face, her butt sticking in the air. They refused to ski with us again."

"Sounds like fun. And you left…why?" he asked curiously.

"Time to grow. I always wanted to come to England. Yes, I love my family…but I didn't really have anything holding me in America. You can't let your family dictate _every _step you take."

"Very brave, coming all this way," he replied. They ate the rest of their meal in comfortable conversation. When they were finished, he took her hand and brought her to the dance floor. Just as they started, Lily spotted James and his date dancing nearby. Groaning silently, she looked away.

"Everything alright?" Chris asked curiously, noticing her uncomfortable glances. He looked to where she had originally been focused. "Hey, is that-"

"James Potter, yes," Lily mumbled. _I can't just let him get used by that leech, _Lily thought to herself. _You don't even like him, why bother?_ Lily argued silently. _Maybe because he actually is decent and maybe because this will hurt the tabloids if ever it is discovered_, she continued. _Oh, just ignore it. Have a good time_, her argument continued. _Stop being selfish. End your date and save him from the embarrassment. It's what a good person would do_, she thought. Groaning again, she looked up to Chris.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Chris asked curiously, stopping their dance.

"I'm sorry about this, Chris. But I must cut our…hang out…short. It was really nice tonight. Thank you for taking me here," Lily stated.

"Leaving so soon?"

"James is on a date with a woman he doesn't know is married and all she wants is his money. I can't let him make that mistake so I have to go break up a date."

"Would you like help?"

"No, it's alright. I have it. But, I had a really good time tonight. Thank you. Maybe we can hang out again sometime," Lily stated, distracted, as she watched James and Darla.

"I would like that very much," Chris smiled. "Until next time, _friend_."

Lily smiled and made her way through the couples dancing, her destination in mind. The music changed as a louder number blared into the speakers. Lily grunted as she thought of a successful way to break up the date. Darla would deny it until the end. She finally reached them and yanked on James' arm. He turned to her, startled. When he saw who it was, he grinned.

"Come to show me your dance skills?" he yelled out. She could barely hear him. At the corner of her eye she saw Darla glaring at her.

Lily shook her head. "Can we talk?" she asked as loudly as possible without yelling.

"What?" James asked, leaning his ear down to her.

"CAN WE TALK?" Lily yelled, while James jumped, not expecting her to yell.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" he yelled back.

"PRIVATELY. I WANT TO TALK PRIVATELY!" she yelled out, irritated. She was having a good night…need her boss ruin that too? James shrugged and made a motion to Darla, indicating he'd be right back. Darla followed anyways.

"What is it?" James asked when they were far enough away from the music to be heard at fairly normal volumes. Lily glared at Darla while Darla had a pleading look on her face.

"Darla here is _married," _Lily sneered, glaring at Darla. James looked dumbstruck as he widened his eyes at Lily and then turned to Darla.

"What?" he asked simply.

"I'm not married. Your assistant here seems to think I'm married."

"You said you were," Lily explained, rolling her eyes. "Look at her ring finger."

"Stop being jealous that James wouldn't be interested in someone who looks like you," Darla sneered, angrily. James was her ticket to more money.

James looked incredulously between them. "What is going on?"

"She has a spouse named Tom. She let his name slip in the bathroom and then explained that there were on a separation…a recent separation. She's just using you, Mr. Pot…_James_," Lily explained, crossing her arms. "Look at her left ring finger," she reiterated.

Darla frowned. "So, I used to wear a ring on my ring finger…that doesn't mean anything."

"So, who is Tom?" James asked, curiously, not sure what to believe.

"No one. Ms. Evans here is rather crazy. You should get a new personal assistant…one who isn't so clearly trying to ruin my happiness," Darla stated, angrily.

"_Your _happiness?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I meant _his _happiness, clearly. Why don't you just admit that you like him and are trying to prevent him from connecting with anyone? I mean, we were connecting on a deep level, thank you very much," Darla stated.

"Actually, we weren't. Not at all. Who doesn't have dreams?" James asked, incredulously.

Darla gasped. "What are you talking about? Of course we connected…Tom is just another guy, babe," Darla explained.

"I thought Tom was no one?"

"Fine. Tom _was _my husband…but we're separated," Darla explained, begrudgingly.

James rose his eyebrow and then nodded. "I think it's time I bring you home, Darla," James stated. Darla pouted.

"But _James_, I was going to show you a good time tonight," she tried, seductively. James grinned back.

"Yeah? See, the seduction part doesn't sound so great after I've found out you're married…so, sorry. _Lily, _would you like a ride home as well?" James asked, his eyes pleading with hers. He didn't want to be in the car alone with Darla, especially when she was trying to be alluring. Lily shrugged.

"Let me grab my coat."

Darla frowned. "You need a personal assistant who minds her own business," she snapped.

James grinned. "Normally, I would have agreed with you. However, tonight, I'm rather thankful for Lily."

They waited in silence until Lily appeared again. They walked out to his car and drove in an uncomfortable silence to the location James had picked Darla up. Angrily, she stormed out of the car, slamming the door.

"You know, you can move to sit in the front seat," James smiled to Lily through the mirror.

"Okay," Lily replied, exiting the back seat and moving to the front.

"I'm sorry if I ruined your evening," James stated as he drove off.

Lily shrugged. "As I said, it was just a friendly meeting. Sorry about your…er…date."

"I'm used to it," James stated sadly.

"What? Do you normally date women who are married?"

"No, I normally date women who are deceiving," he replied grinning, no hint of humor in his voice.

"Well maybe you need to change the women you are interested in. Perhaps the whole online dating thing isn't your scene," Lily suggested.

"Neither is meeting women at bars, or clubs, or suit and tie events," James replied.

Lily snorted in response, looking out the window. "You said earlier when I saw you outside of the bathrooms that the date wasn't going that well-"

"Correction. I said I've had better," James cut off, grinning.

"Whatever. What happened in this date that made it so wrong so quickly?"

"What wasn't wrong? She had no hopes or dreams. No ambition! She didn't know…well, she claimed…that she didn't know if she wanted to get married or have children. She doesn't believe in fate, or destiny. She's not open to anything that isn't scientifically proven. Nor does she like dogs…everyone loves dogs! Ridiculous."

"That doesn't sound terrible, James. Well, the whole lack of hopes and dreams thing is kind of bad…but you can't hate a gal for not liking dogs or not being open to fate," Lily explained.

James looked at her incredulously.

"Okay, _Lily_, what do _you _think about things like fate and destiny?"

"Does it really matter? I mean, whether I believe in fate or destiny, is it really going to affect how I live my life? I should be living my life the best that I know how and if there is fate and destiny, well then…there's nothing I can do because it's fate."

"Interesting. And karma? Magic?" James asked curiously, parking the car outside of her apartment.

"I believe anything is possible…even magic. I'm not so sure about karma though. I think there are a lot of bad people in power that shouldn't be and they die successfully…however, I've seen a lot of good people who suffer. Did karma just fail them?"

"See, all I'm asking is for a girl who can think like you do…actually have _opinions_ and articulate them well. Most important question, do you like dogs?"

"Absolutely. Not the small rat dogs though," Lily replied.

"And marriage, children, future?"

"I do want to get married and I want to have two perfect children, one boy, one girl. I want to be a stay at home mom for a little bit but then I want to start work again. I love working where I am as a personal assistant."

"You'd be the perfect woman, Lily Evans, if I could actually stand you more often," James muttered.

"Yeah…too bad you're arrogant, cocky, and selfish."

"Too bad you're a snobby, goody-two-shoes," he countered.

"Egocentric," Lily added.

"Judgmental," James continued.

"Pretentious," Lily grinned.

"Disrespectful," James added.

"Devious."

"Argumentative."

They both laughed, shaking their heads.

"You have a good night, Ms. Evans. Thanks again for informing me."

"Back to formalities?" Lily asked, frowning. "I thought when you started trusting me, you would call me by my first name."

"Ah, but a moment ago, I did trust you. However, that trust was misguided. I cannot simply trust you so easily after a chance encounter. I do appreciate what you did, but that is not enough for me to trust you're not still trying to gain intel," James explained as if it were obvious.

"You are so…" Lily started, pausing to think of the word.

"Intelligent? Witty? Focused?"

"_Frustrating_," Lily spat out, storming out of the car, slamming the car door shut on her way out.

James grinned, watching as she walked off. "_Women_."


	8. Chapter 8: Choosing Fate

**Every Beast Has Their Beauty**

_Disclaimer: _I am not J.K. Rowling. I do not own any of her work.

_Author's Note_: It might be a bit of time before I post the next chapter (like a week or so, haha) but I rushed to get this chapter finished :) Special thanks to mylittleredboots, huflepuff girl14, and guest…I do appreciate the reviews!

_Chapter 8: Choosing Fate_

Sunday, August 19

James stared blankly at the ceiling, wishing the day would soon be over even though it had barely begun. He was still lying in bed, unwilling to move. He was considering his options that lay before him.

On the one hand, he could continue to search for his soul mate that seemed to not exist. He could waste the time that he had left with his friends trying to find a woman that apparently didn't want to be found. The pros? He could actually find her in time and be able to spend his whole life with his friends. He would be happily together with the woman who captured his heart. The cons? He might not actually find her, thus wasting his time away from his friends. He would still continue to date hazardously, feeling more alone than he's ever felt.

On the other hand, he could stop searching for his soul mate. The pros? He would be able to spend all of his remaining time with his closest friends, the very friends that have given up their lives to be with him during this trying time in his life. He would be able to end on good terms with all of them, giving them and himself good memories to last. The cons? He clearly wouldn't find his soul mate if he wasn't looking. There would be no chance for him to return to the magical community with his powers.

Angrily, he jumped up from his bed. He didn't want to be here anymore so he ran to get ready for the day. Either option sucked in his mind. How was one expected to find their love on a time stamp? People weren't supposed to mess with fate. But then again, he thought he knew what his destiny was. He was going to marry a beautiful woman, inside and out, and she would give birth to their children. They would live in a large home that had room for their close friends and family to visit and stay with them. They would have a Quidditch Pitch in their backyard and he and Sirius would teach his children how to play. He would be a renowned auror and he would be powerful. He did defeat Voldemort, didn't he? They should have known about the sorceress before it was too late.

Fate changed. The destiny he envisioned was not looking so hopeful right now. His destiny circled around the magical world that he knew and loved. It was a part of who he was. It wasn't that he hated the muggle way of doing things, it was just that magic was _him. _Fate was sick. This was just a sick joke that he was done playing. He was living a lie every day. It wasn't like he could just go out and tell the world that he was a powerful wizard who simply lost his power. The muggle world would institute him immediately.

He owed it to his friends to try, didn't he? Or did he owe it to his friends to give them a good year before they left? If one fights with fate, one will always lose.

Making his decision, James resigned on the couch, defeated. He rested his head back and started watching the ceiling again.

After a few moments of staring at the paint lines in the ceiling and trying to find shapes, he heard laughter in the next room. Frowning, he looked in the general direction with an eyebrow raised.

"PRONGS!" a voice called out loudly. "PRONGS! WHERE ARE YOU, MATE?"

_Sirius,_ James thought.

Before he responded, he saw Sirius and Remus run into the room.

"Ten gallons, mate," Sirius grinned to Remus. Remus sighed, emptying out his pocket. Seeing James' amused glance, he explained.

"I bet Sirius that you would still be lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. He bet that you would be sitting on the couch. Really, James…can't you do anything unpredictable?" Remus scolded jokingly.

"What are you guys doing back so soon? I thought Lizzie said you would be coming back late tonight?"

"Eh, we figured you needed to get out of here. Ray is cooking a large feast for tonight for all of us as well as a few others. But before that, we're going to go around Hogsmeade and reminisce," Remus responded, picking up a piece of fruit of from the counter to eat.

"You're dressed. Good. Let's go," Sirius replied.

James shook his head. "No thanks. I'll stay here, I think."

Sirius rose an eyebrow. "We figured you'd say that to which we will counter, when's the last time you've been back to the magical community?"

"Two years, 8 months, and 16 days," James responded, squinting his eyes at the calendar hanging on the wall.

"Precisely. You need to get back there. You're too depressed. C'mon. Ally and Sahara are waiting for us. Get your lazy butt off of the couch. Besides, we told the boys you would be coming today," Sirius grinned, knowing that James wouldn't be able to disappoint the twins. James groaned, closing his eyes.

"Why must you find amusement in my torture?" he growled.

"Because you are such a wonderful sport," Remus stated, smiling. "Now, let's go."

Remus and Sirius both approached James on the couch and dragged him up. Sirius apparated ahead of them while Remus held onto James' arm and apparated them both.

Within seconds, they were appearing inside of a large study. It was beautifully decorated with wall-to-wall bookshelves filled with books. There was a large desk that was covered with opened books with highlights. Papers were strewn all around, falling onto the floor. The couch even had a couple of books on it with papers falling off.

"Geez, what happened in here?" James asked, looking around. Lizzie and Ray were both organized individuals so to see everything thrown around was a bit unnerving.

"Research," Remus shrugged. "Don't worry. It's organized. That section of open books is dedicated to the sorceress who cursed you. That section of books is designated for the fairy we are seeking and that section of books is about breaking curses in general and over there-"

"I get it," James cut off. "Where is everyone?"

"Ray is outside with the boys and the girls are in the living room, waiting. Lizzie is out with Dumbledore, trying to sort some things out."

"I wish she wouldn't work that hard. I mean, it's Sunday…shouldn't she be taking a break?"

"You know she can't," a voice declared, walking into the room, towing along two smaller figures.

"Uncle Jamie!" the voices cried, running to him and hugging him tightly.

"Hey boys," James grinned, hugging them both back. "Hey, Ray."

"Hey James. It's been a long time. And don't worry about Lizzie. You know how she gets when she's close to solving something. Besides, you're family. You'd do the same if it were one of us," the tall man exclaimed. He was taller than James by a couple of inches and he had shaved his head bald with some scruff growing in. "But they'll all be taking a break tonight when they return for dinner."

"They?" James asked.

"Lizzie, Dumbledore, McGonagall, the Weasley's," Ray answered. "A big family reunion," he grinned.

"And the occasion is…?" James inquired suspiciously, with a hint of hope.

"Family reunion," Ray responded as if it were obvious. "Anyways, I was just talking with Ally and Sahara and they agreed that we should have some guy bonding while the girls did…whatever it is they do. So, we're going to go to a Quidditch practice…we'll end up having a late dinner, but that's okay."

"We go, too?" Josh asked, his blue eyes shining with excitement.

"Sorry bud, not today. We're dropping you off with Molly," Ray answered. "You can go play with Bill and Charlie."

"Okay!" the two boys grinned happily.

"Whose practice?" Sirius asked curiously. He'd go to anything Quidditch related over going to Hogsmeade any day.

"English National…they're not that great, I know. But, it's something, right?" Ray asked. "Their practice starts at…10:30 A.M., so we need to leave soon if we're going to go."

"Whatever," James replied, depressed. He was hopeful to hear about any progress they made the day before and was missing Quidditch terribly. It was his favorite thing to do and now, he couldn't do it anymore.

"Alright, let's go," Remus agreed. The boys gathered the two younger boys and went to the Weasley's house to drop off the young ones before leaving to go to the English stadium. It was empty other than the team members who were flying high. Ray had graduated with one of the players, being one of his friends, so they were able to watch the practices without notice. They went to the highest seats and watched the players on the field.

"So…what happened yesterday?" James asked curiously.

"It was alright. We got to Russia, and we _thought _Mara Deirdre was there…but she wasn't. It was a decoy. She's certainly a trickster. We did find another fairy who didn't like her much and was more than willing to give us some hints on how to catch her. She went underground right now, which we can't do. She'll resurface eventually. Not many magical beings like her too much because of her trickery. She tricks people into making promises they can't keep and then they're cursed forever, apparently. I had no ideas fairies were this evasive," Remus rambled excitedly. He loved to learn new things about the magical community. Upon seeing James' face, he softened.

"I'm sorry, James. Don't worry though. We'll get her. We were _this _close," he added, pushing his forefinger and thumb together tightly to indicate how close they were. "How did your date go last night? Was that place any good?"

"Seeing her again?" Sirius added, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Absolutely not," James answered, shaking his head. "The date was doomed from the start but the determining factor was the fact that she's _married_."

"Ouch. How'd you find out?" Ray asked.

"Ms. Evans," James responded, shrugging. Sirius and Remus both gave him strange looks.

"And that is?" Ray asked.

"His new personal assistant," Sirius waved off quickly. "How did _Lily _find out?"

James shrugged again. "Girl thing, maybe? Intuition? I don't know, I guess Darla, that was my date's name, informed her in the bathroom. Fortunately, Ms. Evans informed me before the date moved elsewhere."

"Well, that was nice of her," Remus said thoughtfully.

"And Darla wouldn't have worked anyways. She's against anything magically related," James responded as if offended by the thought.

Sirius snorted. "Boy, does she have a lot to be disappointed in."

"So…how is it going with Ms. Evans?" Ray asked.

"She's manageable, I guess. Wasn't my first choice, but these people wanted her for some reason," James replied, waving his hand in the direction of Sirius and Remus.

"Manageable? She broke up your date with a married woman…that sounds a bit more than manageable," Remus claimed while Sirius and Ray nodded in agreement.

"And I appreciate her for doing that, but I still don't trust her and I don't understand why you guys do," James countered.

"And we don't understand why you don't," Sirius replied, smiling.

"No matter. I'm not getting rid of her…I just said I don't trust her yet. She's not my main concern anyways."

"Would you ever consider dating her?" Ray asked.

James snorted and then started laughing. "Never in a million years."

"Why?"

"She's not my type."

"She's a female…female is your type," Sirius stated, laughing. "She's pretty, smart, ambitious-"

"Headstrong, argumentative, stubborn-" James added, frowning.

"So…just like you?" Remus asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Whatever. It doesn't matter. I've made a decision," James stated, crossing his arms and focusing hard on the practice above him.

"And that is?" Ray asked curiously.

"I'm not going to waste my time anymore. I'm going to hope that you guys can find this Mara Deirdre character and reverse the curse. I can't fight fate. I can't turn over every stone to find 'my true love' before I'm 25. I'm just wasting my time."

"Well…that's a healthy way to look at it," Sirius replied, rolling his eyes. "If you give up, you'll _definitely _find her," he added sarcastically.

"It's my decision."

"It's a stupid-" Sirius went to counter but was cut off.

"It's his decision," Remus stated. "I know we thought that finding your 'true love' was the only way…but clearly they found that it might not be so. We will find Mara Deirdre…even if we don't, there is always a way with magic. We will find it."

"That's the hope," James mumbled, trying to stay focused on the game. He hadn't wanted to inform them that he would be leaving them all if they couldn't find the solution before he turned 25. He didn't want them to ruin their lives as well, staying focused on what seemed to be a lost cause.

"Yes, I know mom," Lily responded into the telephone while she was cleaning her room.

She had already cleaned the kitchen and the bathroom while listening to her mother talk on the line.

"Nope, no one special," she said absent mindedly, sweeping under her bed. "Yes, I understand my clock is ticking, come ON mom…it's not the end of the world."

Lily rolled her eyes, taking the dust to the trash can.

"Well, Petunia's just lucky I guess," Lily stated, irritated. The conversation with her mother always tended to find its way to marriage and that she needed to find a guy soon and have some grandbabies for her mother.

"I do too go on dates!" Lily exclaimed loudly after her mother accused her of not even trying to find her perfect man. "Well….um…I dated Roger in college," she said, remembering her last boyfriend.

"I know you liked Roger," Lily mumbled through clenched teeth. "I know, he was _perfect_….because I didn't _like _him, _mom._"

Lily threw her stuffed bear onto her bed. It was quite an ugly stuffed animal. It used to be white with a red floral pattern. Now, it was just an off-whitish color with faded flowers and a mouth that was coming unsewn. It was a gift from her grandfather when she was just a little girl. She hadn't known him, but she did want to. He and her mother never got along…he kicked her mom out of his house shortly after his wife died. However, he was a better grandfather than a father, her mother claimed. Lily always told people she never met her grandparents because she had no memories of any of them. She wished she did. She sighed, fixing the thrown stuffed animal so that it was neatly placed.

"You know, there's more to life than finding someone to marry," Lily grumbled. "What do you want me to do? Parade around with a sign saying I'm offering my hand to the first guy that comes around?"

Lily sighed as her mother ranted on. She sat down on the bed, running out of things to do. After a long moment, she cut her mom off.

"Mom…mom…MOM…I'm _busy_. With work, you know. Remember? I just got a new job. It's not like I can just go out and start dating all of the time. Ja-Mr. Potter keeps me busy….ugh, not like that. He's not that great of a person….no, I'm not coming home…I don't care that Roger is single…yes, I know he's involved with volunteer work…isn't who I marry _my _decision?"

Lily pushed the phone away from her ear, waiting for the muffled discussion on the other end to cease.

"Well, I'll be home for Christmas and New Years, by the way," she slipped in, hoping to change the subject. "No…just those days…it's a business trip…yes, my boss will be there…don't you think that's a bit unprofessional to invite my _boss _over?...Of course I'm not going to invite him, what are you, mad?"

Rolling her eyes, Lily continued. "Okay, mom. I'll try to be more open to relationships…_no_, I don't want to date _Roger_!...because I don't!...goodbye mom…yeah sure…put dad on…bye mom…love you, too," Lily stated. "Hey daddy," she grinned. "Yes, I'll be coming home for Christmas and New Year's…of course I'll make my special pie…the weather her has been rainy, of course…I still don't know why you and mom ever left London…no, I don't think Petunia wants to talk to me…alright…bye dad, love you, too."

Lily finally hung up the phone, irritated. The conversation with her parents went the same way every time. Her mom would rant and rant about things going on at home and work and if Lily were lucky, her mother would say she was busy and had to go. However, more often than not, her mother would turn the conversation on what Lily's love life looked like. To her mom, Lily should have married straight out of college to Roger, her then boyfriend, almost fiancé. Instead of that, she moved to London. Sure, she liked Roger…but she just couldn't see herself marrying him. Her mother also wanted Lily to move back home because she missed her and thought she should just marry Roger and have children. Petunia wasn't going to be having children anytime soon because Petunia didn't want children and whatever Petunia wanted, she got. The pleasures of being the first born.

Sighing, she looked out the window to watch the rain hitting her window. Her roommates still weren't back yet and she had absolutely nothing to do. She watched her reflection in the window, peering back at her.

"What's wrong with you, Lily?" she muttered to herself. "Why _are _you in London?"

"Oh, that's right. Because I don't just want to be somebody's wife who has a business on the side. I want to _be _someone. I want to have a life. I actually _like _to work. But why London? Maybe because it rains so much and the rain is absolutely wonderful."

"And now, I'm going crazy," she snorted, shaking her head. "So, Lily…what kind of wife would you be? Mother? Miserable, that's what. I don't know how to be a wife. I don't know how to put someone else's needs above my own. I don't know how to make decisions with someone else. Who am I? Who is Lily Evans? Maybe I should have gone to school to learn about magic…maybe I wouldn't feel so lost. Yeah right…like mom and dad would have ever let me live that down….alright, crazy time is over now," she stated, turning from the window.

"I need friends," she muttered aloud, looking around the empty apartment. She looked towards the clock and saw that it was only 3:00 P.M. Making a face, she grabbed her raincoat, umbrella, and keys. _Time for a walk,_ she thought to herself. She didn't normally use umbrellas, but she would carry it in case the rain grew stronger.

Lily Evans, perfect in nearly every way, and yet, she still felt like something was missing from her life.

James stared at himself in the mirror that belonged to the bathroom that he currently escaped to. It wasn't that he didn't love his friends…his friends that became his family. It was just a bit much sometimes…being back in the world that he was no longer a part of. He was trying to be his old happy self again but it was difficult to do. He had bags under his eyes indicating his lack of sleep and his eyes that once shone with mischief now only stared blankly with a dull color.

"It's not the end of the world," he muttered to himself, flushing the toilet to pretend he was finishing up in the bathroom. He rubbed a large hand across his face, rubbing his eyes in frustration. "Maybe this is my fate now. Maybe this is what my fate always was…defeat the dark lord, sacrifice my only magic. I guess it's not so bad, looking at it that way…" he claimed, as he turned on the sink water to indicate he was washing his hands.

"Yeah, that's how I'll look at it. It was a _sacrifice_. A frustrating sacrifice, but one I wouldn't take back, I guess," he continued. "But…I still can't stay with my friends. If I do, they are going to waste their lives away trying to find a solution, even if I tell them to stop. It really is best to leave. Another sacrifice, I guess. But, at least they're still alive."

Nodding, trying to convince himself, he smiled at his reflection. _A sacrifice_, he thought, turning the water off and taking a moment to pretend he was drying his hands before leaving the safety of the bathroom.

"Hey James, dinner will be ready in 30 minutes," Ally stated, walking down the hallway he was in. "Is the bathroom safe to use?" she asked jokingly. To her surprise, James laughed along.

"You might want to watch out for the purple towel," he replied, grinning mischievously. Ally rose an eyebrow at him in amusement.

"Did James Potter just…dare I say it…_laugh_? And did he then hint at a…_prank_?" she teased, narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously. She stood on her tiptoes to put a hand to his forehead. "Nope, not running a fever. Maybe your body isn't fighting off the infection…"

"Funny, shorty," he grinned, making a fist and rubbing the top of her head.

"HEY!" she called out, trying to pull away from him. She then grinned and hopped up, hugging him. "My brother is back!"

"I never left…" James replied, returning her hug.

"Psht…you've been gone for _years,_" she stated, rolling her eyes.

James smiled guiltily. "Have I been that bad?"

"Worse," she smiled. "It's good to have you back…even if it is temporary insanity for the day. Why the change?"

James shrugged. "It's good to be back. Even temporarily. And…I don't know. Trying to not be depressed, I guess."

"Yeah, depression does NOT suit you. I'd love to stay and chat…but I've been drinking water all day…" she stated, indicating her need to use the bathroom. James stepped out of her way so that she could pass him. As soon as she shut the door, his smile faded. _This is going to be harder than I thought_, he thought to himself. It was nearly painful trying to joke around like nothing has changed when everything has, but he had to…if it was the last gift he could ever give to his friends.

He sighed and made his way to the Living Room where the rest of his friends lay in wait.

"Uncle Jamie…wanna play with me?" Brody asked from his position on the floor with trucks lying around him.

"Me too!" Josh piped in from his position slightly farther away from Brody with the same trucks.

"Yeah, Uncle Jamie, come play!" Sirius grinned, patting the ground next to him where the twins had convinced him to play. James grinned.

"Only if I get to use the red truck," he stated seriously. Brody found the red truck and lifted it up to James. James smiled and plopped down.

"You do realize you have the marauders looking after your children, right?" Sahara asked Lizzie, laughing. "You're going to have the marauders part 2!"

Lizzie shrugged. "It won't be my problem…only Dumbledore's when they're in school," she smiled. "Besides, it won't be _that _bad….just for the girls."

"Poor Dumbledore," Remus stated seriously, shaking his head.

"I think you mean 'poor Slytherins'," Ray stated, stepping into the room with a ladle in his hands.

"Poor Slytherins?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow. "How do you figure?"

"They're going to go into school thinking every Slytherin is a death eater…even the eleven year olds," Ray suggested, shaking his head. "Anyways, our guests will be here any minute. Would you be able to set the table, Lizzie?"

"Of course," Lizzie responded.

"I'll help," Sahara stated, standing up with Lizzie.

"Me too," Remus replied, following them out while the other boys continued their play on the floor.

"Auntie Ally, auntie Ally…do you wanna…um…auntie Ally…wanna play?" Josh asked as Ally stepped back into the room.

"I'd love to!" Ally exclaimed.

"You can't…you can't have the red truck though…uncle…uncle Jamie wanted it," Josh explained while he crashed his own truck into James'.

"Aw man…that's okay. I'll take this one right here-"

"No…that one's broke," Brody explained. "Here you go," he continued, finding another truck that wasn't in the middle of a truck crash.

"Ally's going down. Let's crash her truck!" Sirius exclaimed excitedly, driving his truck towards Ally's. They continued in their play, crashing every truck against each other, letting the two younger boys win.

"I win!" they both exclaimed excitedly.

"Alright boys, time to wash your hands," Ray called from the kitchen.

"Time to wash our hands!" James exclaimed as he and Sirius jumped up, each taking a boy under one of their arms and flying them to the bathroom to wash their hands while they cried in laughter. James and Josh won the race to the bathroom, shouting triumphantly.

"He seems to be in a better mood," Sahara noted, coming back into the Living Room with Ally and helping her put the trucks away.

"He does," Ally stated, not convinced. "It's a bit odd, don't you think? It's kind of sudden."

Sahara shrugged. "Maybe he's realized it's not the end of the world. Maybe he's actually hoping for the best. You don't think it's honest, do you?"

"Not at all. He's hiding something," Ally stated, frowning. "I've grown up with him…he's like my brother. He's acting like the old James…but he's _not _the old James. He's clearly lying."

"Clearly?" Sahara asked, curiously.

"Clearly. His left eyebrow twitches very, very slightly when he's not being honest. It's only brief…it will only twitch a couple of times and then stop. But it twitches. He's always been a horrible liar the entire time I've known him."

"I've never noticed his eyebrow twitch…" Sahara stated, contemplating her interactions with James.

Ally shrugged. "I wouldn't have either until his mother told me one time before we got to Hogwarts. She told me how to tell if he was lying so I could keep him and Sirius and Remus out of trouble. It definitely came in handy," she grinned.

"Why do you think he's lying about it?" Sahara whispered right before the boys came back from washing their hands.

Ally shrugged as they followed the boys into the dining room. Their guests were just arriving. An older man just apparated into the dining room followed by an older woman. The older woman was still much younger than Dumbledore.

"Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall," the group greeted as they approached the woman and man.

The woman smiled brightly, sincerely happy to see her old students. She briefly hugged them all, lingering just a moment with James.

"James, it is good to see you," she smiled, squeezing his shoulder appreciatively.

"Good to see you as well," James responded, smiling. "Ready for your new bout of students?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," she smiled. Although she was James' professor for nearly 7 years, she loved her students as if they were the children she never had. The marauders tested her patience and teaching capability, but they matured beautifully throughout the years. She had noticed that although troublesome, good had reigned in their hearts. She specifically felt tied to James as he was suffering through this trying time in his life. "I still expect you to come back to Hogwarts as a guest speaker this year."

"You know I always say no," James smiled.

"And you know I'll keep asking until you say yes," Professor McGonagall grinned. James nodded in agreement.

"He'll give in one of these days, professor," Professor Dumbledore stated, a hint of humor in his eyes. A moment passed before two tall redheads appeared, lugging four children. Two were infants, heads still slightly bald, while two were toddlers, anxious to see their friends.

"Arthur, Molly…it's nice to see you," Remus stated cordially while he hugged Molly Weasley and shook Arthur Weasley's hand firmly. The others greeted them as well.

"James! How is that muggle world? Did you find anything more fascinating? Any other trinkets that I might be interested in?" the older redheaded man exclaimed, excitement filling his voice. He shifted the sleeping infant he had been holding to Sahara who was yearning to hold him. Molly gave the other infant to Ally who was grinning widely and dying to squeeze his cheeks.

James shrugged. "Nothing is really that interesting to me anymore, Arthur. I guess living there for so long makes you immune to their charm. You are welcome to visit anytime…well, give notice first so we can make sure it is safe to apparate in our apartment."

Arthur's eyes widened in excitement as if Christmas came early. "Really? That'd be great! As long as you don't mind…"

"Not at all. I miss the company," James stated, smiling. The Weasley's were older than his group of friends by a few years but they remained on friendly terms. They even fought alongside each other during the war with Voldemort. Arthur had saved James' life, blocking the killing curse that was sent at his back from another death eater, allowing James to continue his fight with Voldemort. After his life was saved, the group became closer, the older couple taking it upon themselves to look after the group as if they were their parents. Molly had quite the mothering instinct.

"Wonderful, wonderful," the man muttered happily, looking to his wife anxiously. She smiled in return.

"Food is ready!" a voice called from the kitchen as it walked closer. "Ah, all of our guests have arrived. Perfect. It's good to have the family all here," Ray smiled. "If you are under ye high, then this table is for you," he exclaimed, making a motion at about 4 feet tall and then pointing to a smaller table for the younger kids to sit at.

"Boys, go sit over there," Molly snapped at her two young children as they ran around the room chasing the twins. Sadly, they obeyed.

The adults sat around the larger dining room table, helping themselves to food. Ray and Lizzie give their house elves off on the weekend so that they can spend time with their own families. Today, they had gone to visit some shops in Columbia. The dinner lasted a few hours before everyone started to head home to retire. The boys said goodnight to everyone and disapparated to go home.

"So," Sirius started, sitting on the couch and throwing his feet onto the coffee table. "What's with the good mood?" he asked James accusingly.

James shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about," he smiled.

Sirius narrowed his eyes at him.

"What?"

"Just wondering why you're lying to me, your _best friend_, your _brother,_ your _confident, _your-"

"Oh, stop being so dramatic," Remus cut off, but narrowing his eyes at James as well. "So?"

"Still don't know what you're talking about. I'm going to bed…you should do the same. I expect to see you at work bright and early."

"You'll see us here bright and early," Remus pointed out. James waved his hand dismissively, walked to his bedroom, and shut the door.

He walked over to his desk and pulled out his parchment and utensil. Sighing heavily, he started the many letters that he had to write.

_Dear Sirius,_

_Best friend, brother, confident, that you are. By the time you are reading this, I will already be gone. If you are reading this, that means we were unsuccessful in finding a cure for the curse before I turned 25. I cannot allow you to keep wasting your life for my benefit. I hope that you finally come clean to Remus about dating his sister…now you can't use the whole situation with me as an excuse to be dating her in secret. You should be happy. You all should be happy._

_Now that that is out of the way, don't look for me. I really need you to listen to me…I need you to follow this last command I make. Please, don't look for me. I want to thank you for being the best friend I ever had. We've been wreaking havoc for who knows how long but all good things must come to an end. Thank you, for being my friend, my brother, my confident. I can smile knowing that even though this new road in destiny has torn us apart, we still have the best memories ever. I will always remember our first prank that we pulled together when we were just three years old and at that ball. We ran around putting dungbombs in people's drinks when they weren't looking. I remember we managed to get 12 unknowing suspects before we were kicked out of our first party._

_Thank you, for giving up a big portion of your life for me during this time. I'm glad I got to fight with you by my side. Magic is no longer a part of my life, but it still is a part of yours. Don't give it up. Please. It has been fun trying to figure out this whole muggle living situation with you and Remus. I am forever indebted to you. It is now up to you to take care of Remus during his 'mood swings'. You are the best friend any man can ask for and I know you will take care of Remus._

_You are now the rock of our friends as my time is up. You'll be brilliant…you always have been. No words I say here will be enough to tell you how much you mean to me and no amount of words will be able to say the goodbye you deserve._

_Stay strong, Padfoot. I love you, brother._

_James_

James stared at his written words and slowly rolled up the parchment. He tied a string around it and hid it in his muggle safety deposit box that he purchased a long time ago. He figured that they would eventually open his safety deposit box if he were no longer around.


	9. Chapter 9: Not As It Seems

**Every Beast Has Their Beauty**

_Disclaimer: _I am not J.K. Rowling. I do not own any of her work.

_Author's Note: _I am SO sorry it has taken so long to update! Don't worry…I am not giving up on this story! I still have ideas! And DON'T WORRY. I've already started the next chapter! You guys are great – thank you for reading and reviewing! My brain was a little shot for this chapter, my muse having temporarily abandoned me during my time of need haha. But, it's back! Thank you to: Guest, Haruchi-chan131, mylittleredboots, and huflepuff girl14. (Sorry if I forgot anyone!)

**But, in serious news: If any of you are interested in joining an amazing Harry Potter RP site, go check out the link I have posted on my ff profile! If you are interested and join, PLEASE let me know! Okay, read on!**

_Chapter 9: Not As It Seems_

Saturday, August 26

Lily slept in that morning, not wanting to get up. It had been a long, tiring week. She worked from dawn to dusk it seemed and she was _exhausted_. James Potter certainly was a hard worker. Even his friends tried to get him to calm down to no avail. She had plans today, for the first time in a long time and yet, she was finding it so difficult to get out of bed.

Her eyes shot open as her alarm clock went off, indicating it was time for her to _really _get up. This was the alarm she used when she had not responded to the other alarms. Lily was always so paranoid that she would miss waking up on time, though, she never has had trouble waking up in the morning.

The redhead sat up in bed, blinking her eyes open furiously. She winced at the light that was filling her room. Her arms stretched above her and then in front, ensuring her body was waking up. After a brief moment, she finally pulled her legs over the side and stood. Mornings were not typically this difficult for her but today, she just wanted to go back to bed.

However, today she had made plans with Chris. He has a childhood best friend that is the lead in some play about an hour outside of London. He had promised her that he would see it and he asked if I would attend. He thought we would get along very well and it was something to do outside of dinner. Reluctant at first, Lily finally agreed when she had received another not-so-great phone call from her mother.

She sighed heavily as she bustled about getting ready for her adventure for the day.

An hour passed and she heard a knock on the door. She could hear one of her roommates jump up to answer the door so she opted to finish gathering her items into her bag that she decided to take with her.

"Hi, is Lily here?" a muffled voice asked.

"LILY!" a voice called out loudly. Lily smiled. Ally.

"Coming!" Lily called back, less booming. In less than a minute, she was heading out of her bedroom to meet her new friend.

"Hey, Chris," Lily smiled, ignoring the suggestive look that Ally was giving her.

"Hey Lily, ready to go?" he asked, returning her smile.

"Absolutely," she smiled. "Bye Ally," she said to the small girl and then bellowed out to her other roommate, "bye Sahara!"

"Bye Lily!" a new muffled voice called out to Lily behind a closed door.

Lily and Chris made their way to his awaiting vehicle, he opened the door for her and then shut it upon her entrance. He made his way to the other side of the vehicle and climbed in.

"Thank you for coming, today," Chris smiled, paying attention to the road.

"Thank you for inviting me," Lily responded, looking out of the window while they continued on their destination. "So, how did you guys meet…what was her name again?"

"Rebecca, and we were neighbors growing up," he smiled. "But she moved away after high school. She always wanted to act," he shrugged. "So I'll go to her shows when I am able to so I can show her support," he explained.

Lily nodded in understanding. She was partly glad that they were going to go see his female friend perform; it made it feel less like a date and more like friends. She idly wondered if there was any other history between the two individuals but quickly shook her head from the thoughts. It didn't matter to her if he had.

They continued the rest of the ride in small talk until they arrived at the desired location. Upon arriving, there was a small group of individuals awaiting outside, one of which turned to stare at the car as it parked.

"CHRIS CHRIS!" the same individual exclaimed, running over to the car. She was a short woman, probably around 5'2, with short dark hair and shining blue eyes. She was dressed in some old attire. Immediately after they parked, she was banging on Chris' window, smiling widely. Chris grinned back.

"And that is Rebecca," he stated as he carefully opened his door. The small woman threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Lily awkwardly exited the car, not precisely sure what she should do.

"Rebecca, this is my new friend Lily," Chris introduced, waving Lily over. Lily sauntered over, smiling slightly. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but she sure wasn't expecting the girl to wrap her arms around her in a hug as well.

"Hey Lily! Thank you so much for coming!" the brunette exclaimed. "I have to get going, though," she blushed. "I waited out here a little longer than I should have. I'll see you guys after!"

With that, she skipped over to the building and disappeared. Lily rose an eyebrow at Chris, wondering what just happened.

"Ah. Yes, I forgot to tell you. She very much loves people…all people. She will often hug complete strangers," he grinned, explaining.

Lizzie apparated into the boys apartment, not really caring how they were dressed or rather, if they were dressed. She had discovered something important and needed to share it immediately. Upon arrival in their hall closet, as she thought that would be the safest place to apparate in, she carefully opened the door. She listened silently to hear where they were. To her disappointment, it was rather quiet. She frowned, slightly irritated.

She quietly made her way to James' room, lightly tapping on the door. When there was no response, she pushed it open to reveal an empty room. Frowning, she made her way to her brother's room.

"Sirius?" she called as she silently opened the door. Again, it was empty. Although doubtful, she made her way to Remus' room to find that it, too, was empty.

"Ugh. _Now _you choose to have a life," she muttered, irritated. She put her hands on her hips, tsking with her mouth. With one hand, she rubbed the bridge of her nose as if she had a headache and then went to the kitchen.

She leaned against the counter, wondering what to do next. She could pop in over at Ally's…but she didn't want to scare their roommate Lily…though, this news affected her, too.

The raven-haired woman heard someone clear their throat behind her.

"Oh, it's about-" she started, as she quickly turned around to the noise, but then stopped short. Her eyes narrowed at the intruder.

"What are you doing here?" she spat, taking her wand out of her pocket, gripping it tightly. Her eyes were flaring at the intruder, lips set in a frown, and ears listening for anything out of the ordinary.

The intruder smirked. "We can't have you go ruining our fun. Unfortunately, they cannot know the truth," the individual sneered, wand in hand.

"And what exactly are you going to do to stop me?" she asked crudely. Her voice was stern but her inner alarm bells were ringing, warning her of immense danger. _Where the heck were they?_ She asked herself, cursing herself for falling into a trap. She knew she was stuck or else the intruder wouldn't have looked so smug.

She heard three pops around her just as strong hands grabbed her on either arm. She immediately began to struggle away from their grips, but it was enough of a distraction for the first intruder to shoot out a spell at her. Her hands and legs were bound instantly and she nearly toppled over if it weren't for the hands holding either arm.

"Let me-" she started, but was silenced. Her mouth kept moving angrily, but no words were sounding.

"We have what we came here for," the intruder grinned, grabbing an apple from the counter and biting into it as they all disaparated, taking Lizzie Emerson, formerly Black, with them.

James laughed loudly as he, Sirius, and Remus made their way through the muggle shops, looking for Ally and Sahara. They made the unwise decision to meet them at a small restaurant at a certain time. Unfortunately, the girls were taking longer in shopping than they had agreed. Now, the boys were on an extravaganza to find them.

However, they weren't exactly looking anymore. They were playing their own little game of indicating what magical being the people they passed would be based on their appearance and demeanor. Sirius had just explained that the large man they had just passed would be an ogre as he was yelling at his phone about something and spit was spilling from his mouth.

They continued in this fashion until they ran into the girls.

"Hey!" Remus exclaimed, seeing his sister and her best friend. "Where have you guys been?"

"Christmas shopping!" Ally exclaimed, beaming.

"It's August…" Sirius responded, raising his eyebrows and looking at their large variety of shopping bags. "What'd you get me, love?"

Ally gripped her bags tighter. "Don't look! And yes, I know it's August. We're already behind," she explained. "If we wait until last minute, we risk not finding the perfect present."

"How many presents do you intend on getting?" James asked, staring incredulously at the gifts in their hands.

"This? Oh this is nothing," Sahara stated, shrugging her shoulders.

"So, what'd you get me?" Sirius asked again, trying to peer at her items.

"Sirius," Ally snapped, glaring at him. "You got dog treats, that's what I got you," she stated, with the hint of a smile on her lips.

"Alright! Padfoot was needing some," he replied enthusiastically.

Ally rolled her eyes. "Well, are you guys ready to eat?"

Remus gave her a look of irritation. "Really, sis? You two were _supposed _to meet us at that diner…but no, we're looking for you _instead,_" he explained, rolling his eyes. "Of course we're ready."

Ally snorted in return. "That's all I was asking," she smiled. "Lead the way, kind gentlemen," she grinned.

"Would you like me to carry your bags?" Remus asked kindly to Sahara. She blushed and shook her head. "Nonsense. At least give me half," he coerced, reaching for some of her bags.

"Hey Ally-" Sirius began, watching as Remus took half of Sahara's bag.

"No," she responded.

He frowned. "You don't even know what I was going to ask!" he exclaimed.

"You were going to ask if you can carry some of my bags, if not all," she responded, raising an eyebrow. He frowned deeper, admitting she was correct.

"Well, why not?" he begged.

"Because you'll _look _in the bags," she accused.

"Would you like help with your bags?" James grinned. Ally returned his grin.

"Absolutely. Thank you, _James_," Ally smiled, handing him some of her bags. Sirius continued to pout until they finally fed him, making him forget about the presents in the bags temporarily.

Lily, Chris, and Rebecca went out for dinner at a local restaurant following her performance. Lily had long forgotten her momentary jealousness that was so common in girls, regardless if they liked a guy or not. Rather, she was certainly beginning to enjoy herself, wondering why these two hadn't dated. She could tell through their interactions and the way that Chris had watched her performance that there were some sort of emotions there. Perhaps they were oblivious.

"So, Lily, how did you meet Chris Chris here?" Rebecca asked, grinning. Lily bit back a grin at the nickname she continued to use.

"She tried to take me out while running," Chris joked, laughing. Lily blushed.

"He was running in my way," Lily explained, grinning.

"And I thought we taught you how to be a gentleman," Rebecca accused Chris, looking offended. "What are you doing, picking on people not your size?"

Chris put his hands up in surrender. "I couldn't help myself! I just really wanted someone to bring to your play," he grinned, putting his hands back down.

Rebecca rolled her eyes. "So, America, huh? Is it hard being away from your family all of the time? Or do you have some family living here, as well?"

Lily shook her head. "Nope, no family here, just me. And it has its days. Of course I miss my family, but it was time for me to move away, to do my own thing," she stated.

Rebecca nodded in understanding. "I know I only moved about an hour away, but I understand a bit. Though, I still get to see my family. Do you talk with them at all? Phone? Letters? Will you be able to see them for the holidays?" Rebecca asked, concerned. "If you won't be able to see them for the holidays, you're more than welcome to stay with my family. I know you don't know us too well yet, but my parents love company and would be more than willing to have you join us…besides, Chris' family comes over and it's a big celebration…you should come! It'll be fun!" she exclaimed, excitement building. Her enthusiasm caused Lily to laugh. She was so willing to invite someone she didn't even know over to celebrate such an important time that it made Lily like her even more.

"That sounds like a great offer; however, I will actually be going on a business trip during the holidays. Though, Mr. Potter has allowed me to visit home while there so I'll be able to see my family."

"Really? That's so nice of him! I assume Mr. Potter is your boss?" she inquired. Lily nodded, answering her question. "Well, will you be home for New Years? We will be having a party then as well."

"I'll still be in America," Lily answered.

"Ah…well that's cool still," Rebecca responded. She loved to meet new people and she loved to be surrounded by people. If her best friend trusted this newcomer, then she would trust the newcomer as well, no questions asked. "Maybe next time," she suggested.

"So, what about you, Beck?" Chris asked, grinning, while he drank out of his water bottle. "You're actually coming home this year for the holidays?"

"I do plan on it; I don't have any place I need to travel to," she stated, smiling. "Why did you bring your own water bottle?" Rebecca asked curiously, looking at the bottle.

"I watched this story about the drinks served in restaurants; I guess you could say I'm a little paranoid now," Chris admitted. Rebecca laughed.

"And you didn't think to bring Lily or I a water as well? Clearly you care about us oh so much!" she exclaimed, causing Lily to laugh in agreement.

Chris shrugged his shoulders, "Eh," he started. "You'll live," he laughed, taking another long sip.

James, Sirius, and Remus made their way back to their apartment late at night. They were just coming back from the girls' apartment where they had a chance to catch up. Lily had joined shortly before they left which caused the magical chat to cease rather immediately.

As soon as they entered their apartment, they noticed a man standing by the counter, looking tired. He was leaning against the wall, watching the door. As soon as the door had opened, the figure anxiously moved away from the wall, searching their eyes.

"Hey Ray," James stated, shutting the door behind them. "Everything alright?"

"Lizzie's not with you?" he asked curtly, double checking to make sure she wasn't hiding behind one of them.

"No?" Sirius stated questioningly. "Was she supposed to be?"

Ray rubbed a hand over his head looking stressed. "Yes. She came over early…around 10 A.M. Are you sure you haven't seen her?"

Sirius frowned deeply. "What's going on, Ray? Why was she coming over?"

The man shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. She didn't want to tell me in case someone was listening. She wanted to tell you guys first, even before Dumbledore. She left in a rush and said she'd be back within two hours. I thought she might have just gotten carried away with you guys," he stated.

"We weren't here," Sirius stated. "We were out with Ally and Sahara all day. She would have waited here. And she's not with Dumbledore or anyone?"

Ray shook his head. "No. I went there first when she didn't come home. I also went to McGonagall, the Weasleys…everyone she MIGHT have been with. No one has seen her all day," he stated, frustration ringing in his tone.

"Does she still have that tracking device on her?" Sirius asked angrily, beginning to pace. James and Remus looked on, concern evident in their expressions.

Ray shook his head. "She hasn't been using it anymore. She didn't want to attract anymore unwanted attention to you guys…she also didn't want anyone to be able to find her while she's been going out to some of the places she's been," he muttered.

James' eyes widened. "She stopped wearing it because of ME?" he asked incredulously, shaking his head. Ray didn't answer, confirming the response. James' face fell, distraught. Their group of friends had started wearing a type of tracking device so that they would always know where they were during the attacks occurring.

"It's not your fault, James," Remus stated softly, concern deep set. James pounded a fist against the wall angrily.

"So…we have no way of finding her?" Sirius asked, jaw set, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I don't know what to do," Ray admitted, starting to pace around the apartment. "She must have known something and someone found out and didn't want her to tell you," he concluded. "That's the only thing that makes sense to me. But it's not your fault, James. Even if you pushed her out of your life, she'd still do what she's doing…you know that."

James didn't respond but he knew it was the truth. He shook his head, disappointed in the revelation. Even if he were gone, they would never stop searching for a solution. _When will this madness end?_ He asked himself.

"So what do we do?" Sirius asked softly, barely able to choke it out.

"What we always do…go see Dumbledore," Remus responded softly, not wanting to provoke any unnecessary anger.


End file.
